Leader warns drivers of financial woes amid UK ‘fuel crisis’

Fuel prices rose in recent weeks before falling last week, triggered by the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a temporary truce between the United States and Iran.

The two countries announced on Tuesday, April 7, that they had agreed to a fortnight-long ceasefire, which includes restoring passage through the strategic waterway.

This passage is part of a route that carries around a fifth of the world’s daily oil shipments, and news of the agreement sent international markets into retreat, with crude values sliding sharply.

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The Strait of Hormuz has been closed since hostilities flared in late February, a disruption which sent petrol prices soaring worldwide.

Now, the Oxfordshire County Council leader, Councillor Liz Leffman, has spoken on the fuel situation, describing it as a “crisis”.

This was while announcing plans for a new £5.12m support scheme for struggling residents across the county.

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She said: “We know that cost of living pressures never disappeared for a lot of people, and rising fuel costs, higher food prices and increasing household bills all continue to place a strain on residents, and the impact is often felt most sharply by those already on low or fixed incomes.

“Sadly, we expect that many more households may feel the pinch again with the ongoing fuel crisis.

“This new programme is designed to make sure that support is available exactly where it’s needed, when it’s needed.”