UK drivers at risk of 'paying the price' over Keir Starmer's huge trade deal move

UK motorists could "end up paying the price" of higher petrol fees as a result of Sir Keir Starmer’s new US trade deal, one expert has warned. Earlier this month, the Labour leader signed an agreement with US President Donald Trump with experts now digging down into the details.

The agreement ditches tariffs on American bioethanol, meaning cheap US imports could flood the UK market. Experts have warned this could have "dire consequences" for the UK bioethanol industry and could cause plants to close down. They warn that if the US deal gets ripped off or adjusted, it could leave the UK without access to vital supplies.

Tom Reid of the Renewable Transport Fuel Association stressed finding an alternative could then be costly in a blow to cash-strapped road users.

Speaking to The Sun, he said: "Scrapping tariffs on bioethanol imported from the US will have dire consequences for the UK bioethanol industry, which will not be able to compete on price against the subsidised American product.

"If the UK plants were to shut down as a consequence of this, it leaves the UK open to fuel security problems in the future, if, for whatever reason, the US stops exporting bioethanol to the UK.

"But by then the damage will have been done, the UK plants will have been scrapped, and we will have to import the bioethanol from somewhere else, which could potentially be very expensive – and it will be UK motorists who end up paying for it."

It's not just motorists who may be concerned about the deal, with farmers also warning the bioethanol agreements could backfire.

The National Farmers Union has warned that the inclusion of "a significant volume of bioethanol in the deal raises concerns for British arable farmers".

However, the Government has rejected the idea that drivers could be hit with higher fees later down the line.

A spokesperson said: "This is nonsense. As drivers know prices at the pumps have been falling under Labour.

"Petrol prices will not increase as a result of the UK-US Prosperity Deal in fact our landmark economic deal could even have benefits to fuel prices, while also protecting thousands of jobs across the country and driving economic growth."