TWO in three working-class voters who handed Boris Johnson his election victory will desert him next time if he puts up fuel duty, a survey reveals.
Thousands of people in the “red wall” of Labour seats lent their votes to the Tories in December – on condition they keep their promises.
But they fear Chancellor Rishi Sunak will betray their trust by putting up the cost of petrol and diesel in Wednesday’s Budget.
A recent dive in crude oil prices could give him cover to sneak through a rise – and show lip service to climate change campaigners.
A survey of motorists shows that only 34 per cent would stick with the Tories if he goes ahead with a hike.
Some 40 per cent would return to the Labour fold, 20 per cent would back another party and five per cent would never vote again.
Howard Cost of Fair Fuel UK, who carried out the survey, said: “Boris’s on-loan honeymoon with Labour’s time-honoured heartlands would be brutally ended if his fledgling Chancellor hits the world’s highest taxed drivers with a punitive hike in fuel duty.
“The influence of the PM’s green tinged virtue signalling is rumoured to be clouding his economic judgement.
“A 2p increase in this levy will not save the planet but will damage our post-Brexit economy. Disguising any tax increase as a benefit to the environment will be both dishonest and indefensible.”
