'Stop the war on motorists!' Robert Jenrick issues rallying cry as Reform lead national fuel tax protest

Georgia Pearce
Mon, 27 Apr 2026 13:00:44 +0000

Robert Jenrick has issued a fresh fuel demand to Chancellor Rachel Reeves as Reform UK descended on the capital to lead a protest against surging costs.

Speaking to GB News, the Reform Treasury Spokesman hit out at Ms Reeves for "battering motorists" with increasing costs at the fuel pumps with no sign of a relief on tax.

Mr Jenrick told GB News National Reporter Will Godley: "People across the country are absolutely furious at the moment with the cost of living pressures that they're under.

"And high amongst those is the cost of filling up your car, your van, your HGV, or your tractor with petrol or diesel."

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Sending a clear message to the Chancellor, Mr Jenrick demanded Ms Reeves to "stop this war on motorists" and "take action" to relieve Britons of the cost of fuelling their vehicles.

Mr Jenrick said: "Prices are surging and the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, and the Treasury is doing absolutely nothing. She's not even confirmed that she's not going to go ahead with the increase in fuel duty that's coming down the line in September.

"And so we're here today to send a very strong message to her that enough is enough."

He declared: "Stop battering motorists, stop this war on motorists and take some action."

The Reform MP detailed "two things" Ms Reeves should do to help Britons during the nation's fuel crisis.

He explained: "Cancel that increase in fuel duty that's coming down the line in September, and do something as an emergency measure, as finance ministers the world over are doing.

"And at Reform, we're saying a three month halving of VAT on petrol and diesel at the pumps. Would it be a huge amount? Not necessarily, but it would lighten the load just a little bit when people are really suffering."

Questioned by Will on how Reform would finance his proposed changes to Labour, Mr Jenrick said they would scrap "a whole host" of net zero subsidies.

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Mr Jenrick told GB News: "We said that we'll get it by scrapping a whole host of net zero subsidies Ed Miliband is leading on at the moment, whether that's electric vehicle subsidies or heat pump subsidies or crazy experimental technologies like carbon capture and storage.

"Collectively, the savings that we've set out amount to £14billion, and that is money that we could save, waste that we could save.

"And we could plough it into things like this, helping motorists and small business people like tradesmen and women now when they're really finding life tough."

Approximately £35billion is raised by fuel tax across the UK.

The Treasury levies around 50 per cent in tax for every litre of fuel purchased.

Organised by Reform UK, the demonstration began earlier today, and will call on the Chancellor Rachel Reeves to address the "out of control" fuel prices.

The protest will feature speeches from party members including Mr Jenrick, who will call for the cutting of fuel duty and a reduction of VAT.

The proposed measures would soften the sharp spike of fuel prices that UK households and businesses have been subject to since the war in Iran began.