Duty bound - The Sun

GEORGE Osborne gave millions of drivers hope yesterday by revealing he may throw out a hated tax hike on petrol.

The Chancellor gave his strongest hint yet he was ready to freeze duty on crippling fuel prices.

It came after he received a 100,000-name Sun petition calling for a fair deal at the pumps and as diesel hit an average of 133.21p a litre, 0.04p below an all-time high.

Freezing Labour's 1p a litre rise would spell victory for our Keep It Down campaign.

Asked on radio yesterday what he could do, Mr Osborne said: "We can override it, we are looking at that."

The issue of soaring petrol prices has gripped the nation, with The Sun first urging a duty freeze two weeks ago.

Under the last government's plans, the 1p hike would go ahead in April.

But with inflation costs, the jump could be even more.

Mr Osborne, who also visited the Jaguar Land Rover factory in Solihull, West Mids, yesterday, added: "If we can do something, we'll do it before April."

Treasury experts are also working on a fuel stabiliser, where tax falls as oil prices rise. Mr Osborne's decision is due in his March Budget.

AA chief Edmund King said: "If the Government scraps the increase, it shows it understands drivers."

t.newtondunn@the-sun.co.uk

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