Business and hard pressed people across the Highlands face even greater hardship due to fuel prices that are set to soar. Some estimates suggest that the more rural parts of scotland will face prices of around £1.30 per litre.

This is totally unacceptable and as if we wern’t facing enough problems this latest bombshell may see more and more people struggling to cope. How will penshioners manage to heat their homes ? The fact that the vast majority of the cost is tax that goes straight into the Labour Governments pockets is scandalous when they can see the pressure that people are already under thanks to Labours recession.

And what of the LibDem MP Danny Alexander. What will he do ? Not much. Not much a minority party MP like him can do anyway.

This general election will give the people of the Highlands an opportunity to elect an MP who will be able to deliver.

If the country is fortunate enough to elect a Conservative Government then I as the MP for this region will be in a far stronger position to bring real help and support to the people of the Highlands of Scotland instead of the empty weak words of the Liberals who can only whine and wring their hands in helplessness.

Jim Ferguson

Petrol Price Woe For Drivers As Costs Soar

4:28pm UK, Tuesday March 16, 2010

James Jordan, Sky News Online

Petrol prices could reach an eye-watering 120p per litre later this year, the AA is warning.

The organisation is claiming that unleaded fuel could even top the price, equivalent to £5.41 a gallon, and Alistair Darling is being urged to delay the introduction of a planned 3p increase in petrol duty due to come in on April 1.

AA president Edmund King said: “The UK is barely out of recession, yet petrol prices threaten to rise to record prices seen during the boom of 2008 – shortly before the collapse into recession.

“If families, drivers on fixed incomes and those on low pay were unable to cope with record prices then, they are even less likely now.”

AA research found an average family with two cars is paying £52 a month more to fill up now than a year ago.

The average petrol price in the UK is 115.9p for a litre of unleaded and 116.6p for a litre of diesel.

Even if the 3p increase is withdrawn, the price paid by drivers could soon hit 120p a litre – £5.41 a gallon – according to the organisation.

This would overtake the previous high of 119.7p of July 2008.

The AA said the price increases were caused by the rise in the price of wholesale gasoline since the end of January.

Lindsay Hoyle, the senior Labour MP on the Commons business select committee, said it was “a complete disgrace”.

He told the Daily Telegraph: “Yes, crude oil has gone up this year, but nothing like the rise in petrol prices. Motorists are being legally mugged at the forecourt by petrol companies.”