Residents across Beverley and Holderness are facing rising fuel costs, and Graham has challenged the Prime Minister to give a clear answer on whether fuel duty will increase this September.
Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions, Graham warned that rural communities across East Yorkshire rely heavily on their cars and would be hit hardest by any rise in fuel duty.
During the exchange, Graham said:
“Rural residents in Beverley and Holderness are reeling from the impact of higher fuel prices, yet two days ago, the Chancellor said that in September fuel duty would go up.
My constituents want to know, as the Leader of the Opposition repeatedly asked: will that fuel duty go up in September and add to the misery of my constituents—or not?
Will the Prime Minister, for once in this place, give the House and the people of this country an answer? Yes or no?”
The Prime Minister responded that fuel duty is frozen until September but declined to rule out a rise afterwards.
The issue had already been raised earlier in the session by Kemi Badenoch, Leader of the Opposition, who also pressed the Government for a clear answer. Graham said the Prime Minister’s reply still leaves families and businesses without certainty.
Rural impact across Beverley and Holderness
For many communities across Beverley and Holderness, driving is not a luxury but a necessity.
Villages and coastal communities across the constituency have limited public transport, meaning residents depend on their cars to get to work, take children to school, run businesses or attend medical appointments.
Higher fuel costs therefore ripple through the local economy, raising costs for commuters, farmers, tradespeople and small businesses.
Graham said: “From Middleton to Easington; Leven to Bilton; Newbald to Aldbrough, people rely on their cars. In many villages here there simply isn’t another option.
When fuel costs rise it affects everything — commuting, deliveries, small businesses and the weekly shop. Rural areas feel those pressures first.”
Graham’s campaign for rural drivers
Graham has been raising the issue locally and nationally as part of his wider work on the cost of living.
Earlier this year he highlighted the pressure facing rural fuel retailers after a fivefold business rates increase threatened the future of the Long Riston petrol station, a well-known local forecourt serving surrounding villages.
He has also launched a local petition calling on the Government not to increase fuel duty, giving residents across Beverley and Holderness the chance to make their views heard.
More widely, Graham has been gathering evidence from residents about the cost of living and pressing ministers on rising costs facing households and businesses.
Why the issue matters
Fuel taxes already make up a large part of what drivers pay at the pump.
Analysis from the TaxPayers' Alliance shows:
- The UK currently has above-average fuel duty in Europe, ranking fourth highest for diesel.
- If a 5p rise goes ahead, the UK would become second highest on diesel duty in Europe.
- Fuel duty already accounts for about 40 per cent of the price of a litre of petrol.
Graham said drivers and businesses need certainty.
“The Leader of the Opposition asked the question clearly. I asked it again on behalf of my constituents. The Prime Minister still refused to answer the question.
We need more than failing to rule out a tax rise. Families and businesses in Beverley and Holderness need certainty about the months ahead.”
