Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party, has called on Andy Burnham, the new Labour Prime Minister, to cancel the planned 5p increase in fuel duty scheduled for next year. Badenoch warned that the fuel duty rise would exacerbate the ongoing cost-of-living pressures, hitting drivers hard and contributing to higher inflation.

Speaking during a recent address, Badenoch urged Burnham to include scrapping the fuel duty hike among his next set of measures aimed at easing living costs. She also challenged the Labour government to rule out any tax increases intended to finance its planned spending policies. Badenoch compared Burnham to former Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss, suggesting that he faces similar risks by pursuing what she described as a “spending spree.”

In response, a Labour spokesperson dismissed the criticism, accusing the Conservative Party of being disconnected from economic realities and labeled them as “economy-crashing Tories.”

The debate over fuel duty increases comes amid broader concerns about rising inflation and the cost burdens facing households across the United Kingdom. The 5p hike was initially proposed as part of routine adjustments to fuel taxation but has become a contentious issue as the government seeks to balance fiscal responsibility with support for struggling consumers.