'His Own Cones Hotline': Burnham Ridiculed Over Offer To Help With Soaring Fuel Prices

Andy Burnham has been slammed for his latest attempt to help Brits cope with soaring fuel prices.

Diesel has gone up by 57.6p per litre since the Iran conflict broke out at the end of February, while unleaded has increased by 42.0p, according to RAC.

The average cost per litre of diesel is now at an all-time high of 200.01p, with a litre of unleaded costing 174.81p. 

As wider worries over the cost of living mount, the prime minister promised on social media that he will help people “keep more money in their pocket” despite global turmoil.

Burnham announced that “from today”, Google Maps will show petrol and diesel prices at each fuel station so motorists can find the cheapest one.

He said: “It’s a small change but if there’s a practical way to help people keep more money in their pocket, I’ll do it.”

Chancellor John Healey also promoted his boss’s post, writing: “When fuel prices are high, finding the best deal matters.

“That’s why we’ve launched Fuel Finder in Google Maps, helping you compare prices more easily and find your cheapest local option.”

The Fuel Finder scheme was actually announced by Keir Starmer’s government earlier this year, though it took some time to roll it out across all websites.

In March, the government said: “Under the scheme, petrol stations across the UK are required to report their fuel prices within 30 minutes of any change.   

“We estimate this will save households who own a car an average of £40 a year. It is intended to strengthen competition between retailers over time, bringing down the price for all drivers.”

When Burnham promoted the scheme again today, critics quickly accused him of not going far enough.

A Green Party source told HuffPost UK: “This is Burnham’s cones hotline but worse because it actually already exists.”

Ex-Tory PM John Major was widely ridiculed when he unveiled a phone number for the public to ask about roadworks, called the “cones hotline”, in 1992.

The Liberal Democrats’ deputy leader Daisy Cooper welcomed the idea of making it easier to compare pump prices, but called for “an energy 10p fuel duty cut now”.

Meanwhile, shadow Tory chancellor Andrew Griffith also wrote on X: “Andy, if you want to help, scrap Labour’s upcoming fuel duty hike.

“Diesel has already hit £2 a litre. As the RAC has highlighted, 43% of the price is tax. Give people a break, not more taxes!”

Other X users were equally frustrated and bemused by the announcement, calling him the “Tesco value Martin Lewis”.

The row comes after brutal analysis predicted Labour is on course to preside over the worst parliament for living standards in modern times.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation warned Britain faces a “dire” outlook with the average household income between £440 and £770 lower in real terms in 2029-30 than when Labour came to power in 2024.

It called for the government to take “bold policy action on living standards” – or families will be poorer than they were a decade ago.

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