Motorists' organisations say fuel duty levels are already too high Labour has said it will attempt to force the government to delay the 3p-a-litre rise in fuel duty due to come into effect in August.When MPs debate the Budget next week, the party will put down an amendment seeking to put off the increase until at least January next year.
Writing in Tuesday's Sun newspaper, shadow chancellor Ed Balls accused the coalition of "clobbering" families.
A Treasury source said the rise was actually the last from Labour's Budget.
The source, speaking to the BBC, accused Labour of "hypocrisy", adding that Mr Balls had voted for the rise at the time.
The source said that the government had taken action to ensure that fuel was 10p cheaper than it would have been under a Labour government.
In his March Budget, Chancellor George Osborne said the plan to raise fuel duty by 3.02 pence in August would go ahead.
In the Sun, Mr Balls said: "With Britain now in a double-dip recession, the last thing our economy needs right now is another tax rise adding to the squeeze. The government should be giving our economy a boost - not clobbering families, businesses and pensioners just at the wrong time."
Labour says putting off the rise until next year would cost between £500m and £600m.
'Difficult decisions'It suggests paying for it with the £500m underspend in the Olympics budget or by closing tax loopholes and reversing changes to tax allowances for pension contributions for those earning more than £150,000.
Mr Balls said: "Difficult decisions are needed to get the deficit down. That's why Labour put up fuel duty in the past. But we often delayed or cancelled planned duty rises based on the circumstances at the time - including at the height of the global financial crisis."
Last week the prime minister said the rise would be "looked at", but held out little hope for a delay, saying: "I think people sitting at home know that the government doesn't have a bottomless pit of money."
One Liberal Democrat MP and several Conservatives have already indicated their support for calls for the rise to be scrapped.
FairFuelUK, which campaigns for lower fuel prices, said hiking fuel duty by 3p per litre on 1 August "makes no sense either politically or economically" and would be a "toxic issue" for voters.
Its spokesman, Quentin Willson, said: "MPs of all parties need to have the courage of their convictions, put party issues aside and come together to vote against the rise."
Last month, Transport Secretary Justine Greening said she would consider legislating if the fuel retailers did not pass on falls in oil prices to their customers.
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