Public Affairs monitoring for week ending 1 May 2026

Oil prices reach four-year high as Strait of Hormuz shipping remains highly disrupted

Oil prices increased to their highest level since 2022 on 30 April amid reports that the US military is briefing President Donald Trump on new options for the Iran war.

Logistics UK continues to engage with the government on the case for a package of measures to support the logistics sector, including: extending the 5p fuel duty freeze; logistics to be formally recognised as a priority fuel user within resilience planning; inclusion in the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme to reduce electricity costs; extension of full expensing to leased zero-emission commercial vehicles; targeted incentives to support uptake of low carbon fuels; a pause alongside wider reform of business rates to ease cost pressures on the sector; and taking a longer-term approach to mode shift grants. We are also supporting the government’s action to tackle late payments and urging the government to monitor narratives related to profiteering to help prevent panic buying and fuel shortages.

Logistics UK joined a cross‑industry call with Northern Ireland Infrastructure Minister Kimmins on 28 April, where we highlighted the primary impact of the Middle East crisis is cost pressures rather than supply disruption. The discussion emphasised the sector’s critical role in national resilience, with calls for formal recognition of logistics as a priority fuel user.

To support our engagement with government on this crisis, we are collecting member insight via the Logistics Performance Tracker survey. Please complete our short survey on SurveyMonkey here or via Microsoft Forms here as soon as possible.

Read our latest Middle East update here, which includes data on fuel prices.

Also this week

Government

• Prime Minister Keir Starmer will not face a parliamentary investigation over claims he misled MPs on the vetting of Peter Mandelson. Only fourteen Labour MPs rebelled to support the motion tabled by the Conservatives. A further 53 Labour MPs abstained. The next test of Starmer’s premiership will be the local elections on 7 May, with some polling experts suggesting Labour will lose more than 75% of the council seats it is defending.
• Government has agreed to publish further details about the Railways Bill. In the letter to the Transport Committee on 24 April, the government recognised “the value in providing further clarity to Parliament and stakeholders in the run up to GBR’s establishment.”
• The Department for Transport released statistics on 30 April showing the number of EVs on UK roads has surpassed two million for the first time. There are 2,012,000 zero-emission vehicles licensed as of the end of December last year, up 31.2% compared to the year prior.
• Logistics UK CEO Ben Fletcher and Interim Director of Policy and Communications Ben Garratt met with the Department for Business and Trade Director of Industrial Strategy Kalada Bruce-Jaja on 27 April. The meeting discussed the acute challenges faced by the logistics sector during the Middle East conflict, and the benefits of supporting the sector to decarbonise. They also discussed opportunities around UK-EU trade, skills, and infrastructure.

Parliament

• The Public Accounts Committee held an oral evidence session on 27 April on Northern Powerhouse Rail. Officials confirmed that the programme is primarily focused on passenger connectivity and delivered within a strict £45 billion cap, with limited focus on rail freight. However, officials highlighted that the Transpennine Route Upgrade would benefit freight movements through electrification and increased capacity.
• The Transport Committee held an oral evidence session on 29 April about the EV transition., in which the Climate Change Committee (CCC) highlighted survey evidence regarding barriers to electric van uptake, including range anxiety and challenges with delivering depot charging. The panellists questioned whether existing schemes adequately support depot charging. In the second session, Transport Minister Keir Mather reaffirmed confidence in the 2030 EV mandate but did not discuss eHGVs or commercial charging.
• Several written parliamentary questions relevant to logistics received answers this week:
  • Gareth Snell (Labour, Stoke-on-Trent Central) asked about the energy costs of electrifying commercial HGV fleets. Business and Trade Minister Chris McDonald said on 27 April government recognises the importance of HGV electrification, the impact of energy cost on the logistics sector, and government is investing in clean homegrown power to reduce exposure to volatile fuel prices.
  • Viscount Hanworth (Labour) asked about hydrogen fuel cells for trains and HGVs. Rail Minister Lord Hendy said on 29 April that government recognises the important decarbonisation role of hydrogen and will publish a renewed Hydrogen Strategy in 2026.
  • Max Wilkinson (Lib Dem, Cheltenham) raised the impact of ageing water infrastructure on road surfaces. Transport Minister Simon Lightfoot said on 27 April that poor surface water management can accelerate road surface deterioration and the department launched the Structures Fund to help.
  • Richard Holden (Conservative, Basildon and Billericay) asked if government plans to resume the York Area Capacity and Performance Project. Transport Minister Keir Mather said on 27 April DfT and Network Rail are developing a sustainable long-term strategy for the East Coast Main Line that will consider investment opportunities, including York.
  • Gareth Snell (Labour, Stoke-on-Trent Central) asked about port access to affordable energy. Transport Minister Keir Mather said on 27 April government is reforming the grid connections process to ensure port infrastructure, such as shore power, can access the energy needed for maritime. Government is also considering accelerating connection dates at critical port sites and will publish a Call for Evidence about ports’ energy needs later this year.

Devolved, local and regional

• New polling from Diffley Partnership on 27 April suggested the SNP remains on course to be the largest party at Holyrood, though short of an overall majority. The poll put the SNP on 38% of the constituency vote and 29% on the regional list. Reform UK and Scottish Labour followed, with Reform 20% and 19%, and Labour on 18% and 17%. The Conservatives polled 12% on both ballots, while the Greens recorded 12% on the list and 2% in constituencies. The Liberal Democrats polled around 10% on both.
• The Northern Ireland Assembly approved establishment of the Just Transition Committee on 27 April, a new body to advise Departments on how emissions reduction policies can be delivered in an inclusive and sustainable way. Membership will include representatives from twelve sectors, including agriculture, trade unions, energy, transport, and green finance.

Other

• Network Rail launched a joint Artificial Intelligence in Rail Action Plan on 29 April. The plan aims to reduce costs, increase productivity and support freight growth, and states that AI could improve operational reliability and predictability, provide more effective disruption management, and enhance capacity utilisation.
• The International Maritime Organisation has held talks in London to agree a climate deal for the global shipping industry. US and Saudi Arabia remain opposed to the framework and argued against restrictions on traditional fuels, the Financial Times reported on the 27 April.
• The British Retail Consortium, Food and Drink Federation, Recruitment and Employment Confederation, and UK Hospitality wrote a joint letter that urged the government to water down planned reforms to zero-hours contracts, warning that requiring employers to offer guaranteed hours could prompt firms to cut roles or switch to gig workers, the Financial Times reported on 27 April.
• Figures published by the SMMT on 30 April show that the number of light commercial vehicles on the road increased by 1.4% year on year to just over 5.17 million. This represents an increase of 29.2% since 2015. Over the same period, the number of heavy goods vehicles rose by 0.2%, with more than 626,000 currently in operation.

Coming up

• Local elections in England and parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales are taking place on Thursday 7 May.
• Parliament has been prorogued. It will return on Wednesday 13 May with the King’s Speech.