Alliance Lagan Valley MP Sorcha Eastwood has welcomed the Prime Minister's announcement to postpone a planned 5p increase in fuel duty, noting that the decision aligns with Alliance demands for action on energy prices. However, she warned that the measure still falls far short of what is required to support struggling households.

The announcement follows a joint letter spearheaded by Ms Eastwood and co-signed by all other Northern Ireland MPs, which requested that the proposed duty increase be scrapped alongside other measures designed to alleviate fuel cost pressures on local families. Ms Eastwood said: "Whilst this freeze will undoubtedly be welcome to the countless people up and down the UK right now who are worried about how they're going to pay for fuel, this is the bare minimum and the government knows it.

"Northern Ireland remains uniquely exposed – our reliance on home heating oil, high rates of fuel poverty and poor public transport links mean we feel these pressures more acutely than most. The UK Government must now go further, acting on our calls to remove VAT from home heating oil and agricultural diesel, and increase windfall taxes on the energy giants capitalising on crisis, in order to fund meaningful relief for families.

"People across Northern Ireland are struggling with energy costs that are among the highest seen across these islands. A freeze on fuel duty is welcome, but it does not come close to addressing the scale of the hardship many households are living through.

"I will keep pushing until the support on offer from the government truly reflects the scale of the problem."