A petrol retailer trade group withdrew from the meeting before later saying it would attend.
Rachel Reeves will not meet with UK petrol chiefs (Image: Getty)
A petrol retailer group accused ministers of inciting abuse towards forecourt workers as a meeting with Rachel Reeves was plunged into chaos today.
The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) hit out at the use of “inflammatory language” as it pulled out of Downing Street talks with the Chancellor and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband on fuel prices amid the Middle East conflict.
But the group later said it would attend the meeting after receiving assurances that the media would only be present for the first part.
The association had said it wanted talks to be private “to allow a conversation to explain how the fuel market works”.
Gordon Balmer, executive director of the PRA, said: “Recently I have heard of incidents from some of our members of retail staff being abused by members of the public, who may have been provoked by the incorrect and inflammatory language emanating from some commentators for example use of the terms ‘rip offs’ and ‘profiteering’.
“Our members are working hard in difficult circumstances making sure that motorists and businesses are getting the fuel they need, at prices that are very competitive, on razor thin or in some cases negative margins which means they are losing money.
“Our job is to serve the public keeping motorists and businesses on the road.
“There is clearly still a lot of work to do to help politicians and commentators to understand how the fuel market works and our door is always open for constructive dialogue.”
But the Government subsequently told the PRA that media would attend the top of the meeting but that the talks themselves would be private.
At the meeting at 11 Downing Street, Ms Reeves told petrol bosses they had a “shared obligation” to keep prices down for motorists.
She thanked them for their co-operation, but told them she wanted an “open and frank conversation” with them.
She said: “We have concerns around the high prices and we do have a shared obligation.”
Mr Miliband told them: “We have said so clearly that we won’t tolerate unfair practices either here or anywhere else in the industry. It is out obligation as the Government to ensure the consumers are treated fairly in this crisis.”
It comes after the Chancellor called on the competition watchdog to “crack down” on “rip-off” fuel prices.
She wrote to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) asking it to stay on “high alert” for “unjustifiable” price hikes.
She said: “I will not tolerate any company exploiting the current situation to make excess profits at consumers’ expense. I’m backing drivers and families – and I expect a fair deal at the pump.”
Ms Reeves has faced demands from the Tories and Reform UK to scrap the Government’s planned 5p hike in fuel duty amid the Iran conflict as fears grow over the impact on the cost of living.
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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he will keep the situation “under review”.
The RAC said the average price for a litre of unleaded had risen by 8p since the start of the crisis, with the cost now its highest for 18 months.
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