Petrol retailers pulled out of a planned Downing Street meeting this afternoon after accusing ministers of using “inflammatory language” that they say has contributed to retail staff being abused, and energy secretary ed miliband said the government would “not tolerate” profiteering. The Petrol Retailers Association withdrew after it did not receive reassurance the meeting would be held in private. The chancellor had been expected to press the industry and the Competition and Markets Authority on unfair price rises.
Expanding details
The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) withdrew from a roundtable set for Downing Street because it did not receive a commitment that the meeting would be private. Gordon Balmer, executive director of the PRA, said members had reported incidents of retail staff being abused by members of the public and suggested that the use of terms such as “rip offs” and “profiteering” by some commentators and ministers may have provoked that behaviour.
Government ministers had planned to warn fuel bosses that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) was on “high alert” for any unjustifiable price rises and that the CMA was primed to step in to stop what ministers described as rip-offs. The chancellor had written to the CMA calling for action against unfair practices that could hit households, and a Fuel Finder scheme is being worked on with industry to help motorists find better value petrol and diesel.
Ed Miliband and the government’s stance
Earlier on Friday, energy secretary ed miliband said the government would “not tolerate” profiteering from the conflict affecting oil prices and stressed that the strategy for energy security would continue to rely on producing from currently operating fields rather than issuing new exploration licences. He urged a move away from dependence on volatile fossil fuels and announced a fast-track process for building new nuclear power stations as part of the longer-term response.
The government is under pressure to act both in the short and long term as oil prices have surged amid the effective embargo in a key shipping channel for energy supplies. Some industry voices have urged allowing further exploration and production in existing offshore areas, but ed miliband said that new licences would not immediately reduce household bills and that the broader aim remains clean, homegrown power.
Immediate reactions
Gordon Balmer, executive director of the Petrol Retailers Association, said: “Recently I have heard of incidents from some of our members of retail staff being abused by members of the public, who may have been provoked by the incorrect and inflammatory language emanating from some commentators, for example, use of the terms ‘rip offs’ and ‘profiteering’. ” He added that members were “working hard in difficult circumstances to make sure that people were getting the fuel they need, at prices that are very competitive. “
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “I will not tolerate any company exploiting the current situation to make excess profits at consumers’ expense. I’m backing drivers and families — and I expect a fair deal at the pump. ” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “If fuel companies try to rip off customers, my government will step in. “
What’s next
With the PRA standing down from the meeting and the CMA described as on high alert, ministers and industry will now need to decide whether further private engagement can be secured and how quickly enforcement or consumer-help measures will be deployed. Observers will watch for formal CMA action, the rollout of the Fuel Finder scheme and any further ministerial interventions; ed miliband and the chancellor are expected to remain central to that follow-up engagement.
