A national fair fuel campaign spearheaded by a Kent haulier is due to be debated in the House of Commons today.

It comes after the lobby group FairFuelUK collected 100,000 petition signatures in its bid to urge the Chancellor to scrap the hike in fuel duty planned for April.

The group, founded by Larkfield haulier Peter Carroll, also wants the government to announce measures to stabilise the cost of fuel.

petrol per litre

january 2003 – 76.3p
january 2004 – 76.9p
january 2005 – 79.6p
january 2006 – 89.4p
january 2007 – 87.5p
january 2008 – 104.3p
january 2009 – 86.6p
january 2010 – 111.8p
january 2011 – 128.3p
october 2011 – 134.51p

Mr Carroll, a former Shepway councillor, spoke as a delegation handed in the petition to Mr Osborne earlier this year.

He said: "The government appears to be listening, but it is absolutely vital that everyone who supports a fairer deal on fuel prices helps us to keep the pressure on by signing up online - we will only win if we can show the government the strength and depth of feeling on this subject."

FairFuelUK is backed by the Road Haulage Association, the Freight Transport Association, The Fuel Card Company and the RAC along with businesses and trade bodies.

The group's website said the issue was due to be debated today, "assuming there are no issues with any unforeseen Government's priorities."

It added: "We wish to thank the 100,000 FairFuelUK ePetitioners, our 200,000 FairFuelUK website followers and the 11,000 supporters who rallied to email their local MPs over the last weekend.

"Without this pressure, we may have not got the debate. A BIG BIG THANK YOU."

But the statement confirmed this was just the next stage in the campaign for lower fuel duty - with a long battle ahead.