Drivers Near Buxton Pocket a Discount as Reform UK Stages Fuel Price Stunt

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

With fuel costs still biting, Reform UK's roadside giveaway near Buxton turned heads, but the party's bigger pledge to cut duty by 5p a litre faces tough questions from local politicians.

Fuel Price Stunt Near Buxton Sparks Political Row

Derbyshire County Council leader Alan Graves has drawn sharp criticism from High Peak MP Jon Pearce after joining a high-profile political stunt at a petrol station near Buxton, where Reform UK leaders temporarily slashed fuel prices for motorists.

The event, branded as a “Reform Refuel,” took place at Newhaven Services and was led by party leader Nigel Farage and Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick. The forecourt was adorned with turquoise party signs, advertising diesel at £1.43 per litre and unleaded petrol at £1.21, with the party covering the difference for drivers filling up.

Mr. Farage stated the stunt was designed to highlight the rising cost of living and the burden of taxation on motorists. Mr. Jenrick added that a Reform government would save £13 billion a year by cutting net-zero initiatives, allowing them to reduce fuel costs by at least 5p per litre.

However, the involvement of the Reform-led County Council leader sparked a furious response from High Peak MP Jon Pearce, who accused the party of prioritising “silly stunts” over their responsibilities to local residents.

“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.”

Mr. Pearce also questioned the credibility of Reform’s fuel duty promises, pointing out that the current government had already extended a 5p per litre cut, which is set to increase to 11p next month — a move he claims Reform opposed.

“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.”