A petition signed by 126,000 people was delivered to Rishi Sunak as final decisions are made ahead of next week’s Budget.

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Forty MPs – including Tory Jonathan Gullis pictured outside Number 10 yesterday – are demanding a freeze to fuel duty and keeping a 5p temporary reduction in the levy – which will cost £5 billion.

Howard Cox, FairFuel UK founder, said: “The Prime Minister is now under no illusion that the Chancellor must deliver a Budget for motorists.

“The commercial heartbeat of the economy needs this much troubled Government to deliver some fiscal cheer instead of drivers being continually used as cash cows.”

Yesterday The Sun reported on how around 40 MPs and peers had written to Jeremy Hunt urging him to freeze rates and keep the 5p cut at next month’s Budget.

Eight former Cabinet ministers including Suella Braverman and Priti Patel were among the signatories praising The Sun’s Keep It Down campaign.

For 13 years our crusade with FairFuelUK has stopped the duty soaring with inflation.

Since 2022 there has been a further 5p cut, together saving drivers around £200 a year.

But MPs are piling pressure on Mr Hunt to extend both measures amid fears he could scale them back due to financial restraints.

In their letter they warn: “It would be catastrophic for British motorists if fuel duty rises in line with inflation.”

Raising duty would also deal a blow to businesses, hitting Sunak’s growth plans.

Treasury sources say Mr Hunt has around £13billion in the public finances which he will dip into for tax cuts.