THE Government could lose as many as 100 seats at the next election if it sticks to its unpopular fuel duty escalator, according to the RAC Foundation. The independent campaigning and research body has analysed voting patterns from the last election and found that a 5-6% swing in key constituencies, particularly in rural areas where car dependency is high, would lose the Labour Party 100 House of Commons seats.

The RAC Foundation said 77% of motorists think the fuel duty escalator (of 6% over and above the rate of inflation) is unfair. It has now written to Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown calling for an end to the escalator and a review of road user taxation, and warning that escalating fuel costs are damaging the competitiveness of essential car and van business users. Edmund King, RAC Foundation's executive director, said: 'Middle England will vote with their wheels at the next election unless they get better value for money from the Government in return for their motoring taxation.'