Scottish households could save more than £500 a year under proposals to cut energy bills and remove VAT from petrol and diesel, according to SNP Westminster leader Dave Doogan.
The MP is expected to make the demand during his keynote speech at the SNP conference in Aberdeen on Thursday 15 October, challenging Prime Minister Andy Burnham to announce immediate financial relief when he visits Scotland on Friday.
Doogan wants the UK Government to remove the 20% VAT charged on petrol and diesel for the duration of the current cost of living crisis and deliver the £300 reduction in household energy bills promised by Labour.
He argues that the combined measures would save an average Scottish household more than £500 annually, although the actual benefit would depend on individual fuel consumption and energy costs.
The challenge comes ahead of the UK Budget on 28 October, when Chancellor John Healey is expected to outline the government’s spending and taxation priorities.
The SNP claims that major household expenses have continued to rise since Burnham became Prime Minister in July, despite his commitment to reducing financial pressure on families.
According to figures highlighted by the party, energy bills have increased by £309 since Labour entered government in 2024, leaving the promised £300 reduction further away.
Doogan is expected to tell delegates:
“When Andy Burnham comes to Scotland tomorrow he will face scrutiny over the fact that while he promised to cut the cost of living, every major household bill has increased on his watch.
“Under Andy Burnham, our energy bills are up, the price of petrol is up, mortgage rates are up, inflation is up and the cost of food and shopping is up.
“The only thing that has fallen under Andy Burnham is living standards.
“The next wave of Westminster’s cost of living tsunami is already hitting Scottish households.
“People in Scotland don’t want a flying visit to fill the Prime Minister’s TikTok content, they want to know when he is going to cut energy bills, cut fuel duty and cut the cost of living this winter.
“So let me be clear, at the UK budget he can make a start by removing the Labour government’s 20% VAT charge from petrol and diesel prices for the duration of the crisis and by cutting energy bills by the full £300 that the Labour Party promised.
“That would mean a saving for the average Scottish household of over £500 a year on the Labour government’s current cost of living crisis.
“More pointless plans and penniless proposals won’t reduce the price at the pumps.
“And all the hot air in Westminster won’t heat a single Scottish home.”
Doogan will also contrast Britain’s approach with Ireland, where the government has introduced temporary reductions in fuel taxes to ease pressure on households and businesses.
Ireland’s measures include reductions equivalent to 27 cents per litre of petrol and 32 cents per litre of diesel.
However, removing VAT from road fuel in Britain would carry a substantial cost to the Treasury, and the SNP has not detailed how the lost revenue would be replaced.
The UK already applies a temporary reduction in fuel duty, separate from the VAT charged on petrol and diesel.
The SNP’s proposals would therefore require decisions about both household support and the wider public finances.
With Burnham preparing for his Scotland visit and the Budget approaching, the competing demands over energy costs and fuel taxation are likely to remain central to the political debate.
For households facing another expensive winter, the immediate question is whether the government will turn its promises on living costs into further financial relief.
