The Petrol Retailers Association has written to Chancellor of the Exchequer, accusing her of deploying “inaccurate characterisation and disappointing rhetoric” when she discussed forecourt operators in last week’s Budget speech.
In a strongly worded letter, the PRA’s executive director, Gordon Balmer, criticised Rachel Reeve’s comments on the forthcoming Fuel Finder scheme, which she said would be “empowering drivers to find the cheapest fuel, calling out rip-offs and strengthening competition”.
Balmer judges such language implies “the existence of dishonesty and profiteering in the retail fuel sector” and said the Chancellor’s words “[come] across as inflammatory and disrespectful”.
He added that forecourt operators “work long hours in what continues to be a highly challenging cost environment to keep our country moving”, and that Reeves’ speech “betrays an imperfect understanding of our sector”, particularly given many of the UK’s 8,279 forecourts and the 85,000 people who keep them running “play a vital role in the communities they serve”.
The PRA chief stressed that the organisation had been “at pains to cooperate fully” with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Competition and Markets Authority as Fuel Finder was developed, adding that it will continue to constructively engage with government on such matters. Balmer concluded, though, that “more careful, less inflammatory language would be much appreciated”.
Several retailers told Forecourt Trader they were disappointed to hear Reeves’ “rip-offs” comment, while one forecourt boss held a flash sale at the weekend, knocking 10ppl off the price of fuel at their two sites in response to her comments.
