High Peak MP criticises Reform's "silly stunt"

Alan Graves, leader of the Reform-led Derbyshire County Council, recently joined a political petrol station stunt near Buxton, as Reform UK temporarily reduced the price of fuel for motorists.

The event took place at Newhaven Services, where Reform party leader Nigel Farage and Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick unveiled the party’s pledge to cut fuel duty and scrap “lunatic” green levies. The forecourt was branded with turquoise “Reform Refuel” signs, advertising a litre of diesel at £1.43 and unleaded petrol at £1.21. Drivers filling up benefited from the temporary discount as part of the campaign. 

Farage said the stunt aimed to highlight the rising cost of living and the impact of taxation on motorists, while Jenrick added that a Reform government would save £13 billion a year by cutting net-zero initiatives and would reduce fuel costs by at least 5p per litre. 

The stunt drew criticism from High Peak MP Jon Pearce, who said: 

“Alan Graves and the other Reform councillors should be concentrating on what we pay them to do, not participating in silly stunts. If they’re so committed to helping drivers, they should be fixing our potholes - Derbyshire is notoriously the worst place in the country for potholes. They should reverse their plans to close Glossop Tip which will lead to even more congestion, fly tipping and litter across the area and they should deliver on their promise to cut council tax rather than raise it by the maximum amount. 

“The reality is that petrol is more than 8p a litre cheaper today than it would be under the plans we inherited from the Tories, including Robert Jenrick before he jumped ship. In November’s Budget we extended the 5p per litre cut in fuel duty for a further five months, and when this ends next month, the discount will increase to 11p per litre. 

“Reform opposed this freeze in fuel duty. If Reform are going to promise to cut the cost at the pump even more, then they need to explain how they are going to pay for it. And given Nigel Farage called Liz Truss’ disastrous mini-budget the best he’d seen in his lifetime, it’s highly unlikely to be credible.”