CASE STUDY

BUSINESS owner Donna McDonald-Macnaughton, pictured, says the extension of the fuel duty cut will make little difference to her soaring costs.

Her car is crucial to her gift emporium business, and she estimates the sky-high petrol prices after the Russian invasion of Ukraine mean she is spending an extra £15 to £20 a week on fuel.

This adds up to £1,000 a year, which means Jeremy Hunt’s stated savings of ‘£100 a year’ for the average motorist is not much of a lifeline. Mrs McDonald-Macnaughton, 44, from Clitheroe, Lancashire, said: ‘Paying so much to use my car for deliveries just eats into my profits. I haven’t passed any of the increased costs on to my customers yet, but I may have to eventually.

‘You can only absorb so much as a small business.’