MP welcomes Kirkby fuel cut but keeps pushing for more rural areas to be covered

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has welcomed the news that Kirkby-in-Furness has been formally submitted to the European Commission by the Government for an up to a five pence per litre cut in fuel duty for rural areas. This is another stage in Tim's long running campaign to cut fuel prices in our area.

The UK has submitted an application to the European Commission to extend the rural fuel rebate scheme to ten new towns, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander has said.

Following a careful assessment of all the evidence, three towns in England and seven in Scotland were judged to have met the criteria. Two local areas could see fuel duty cut - Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales, and Kirkby-in-Furness. Tim has pledged to keep campaigning for a fuel duty cut for other parts of our area. He has previously written to the Chancellor and lobbied the Prime Minister on the issue and asked them to make sure Cumbria is involved in any future scheme.

Tim said: "For the last three years I have fought to try and cut fuel prices for people in Cumbria. Today's announcement is welcome for residents in Kirkby in Furness but we need to go even further and widen the area available for a 5p cut. I will keep working to make that happen. I have told the Government that in rural areas like ours a car is not a luxury, it is a necessity and people need more help, and the best way to do that is to bring in a wider scheme that would cut prices at the pump by 5p across South Lakeland and Eden."