41 Tory MPs join call by Robert Halfon MP for OFT to investigate high petrol prices

By Matthew Barrett
Follow Matthew on Twitter.

Robert Halfon, the Member of Parliament for Harlow, and one of the most successful campaigning MPs in Parliament, has organised a motion, backed by 60 MPs from all parties, and including 41 Tories, calling for the Office of Fair Trading to investigate allegations of price-fixing by British oil companies. The full motion is worded as follows:

"That this House urges the OFT to investigate oil firms active in the UK; calls on the Government to consider the emergency actions being taken in other G20 nations to cut fuel prices, for example President Obama strengthening Federal supervision of the U.S. oil market, and increasing penalties for “market manipulation”, and Germany and Austria setting up a new oil regulator, with orders to help stabilise the price of petrol in the country; finally urges the Office of Fair Trading to note that the Federal Cartel Office in Germany is now investigating oil firms active in the UK, after allegations of price-fixing."

The Backbench Business Committee, which allocates time for debates on motions tabled by backbenchers, has signalled that they will give Mr Halfon the chance to hold a vote in the Commons chamber as soon as they are allocated time in September this year. The following Tory MPs are signatories to Mr Halfon's motion:

• Stuart Andrew (Pudsey)
• Andrew Bingham (High Peak)
• Sir Peter Bottomley (Worthing West)
• Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire)
• Daniel Byles (North Warwickshire)
• James Clappison (Hertsmere)
• Tracey Crouch (Chatham and Aylesford)
• David Davis (Haltemprice and Howden)
• Charlie Elphicke (Dover)
• Andrew Griffiths (Burton)
• Sam Gyimah (East Surrey)
• Robert Halfon (Harlow)
• Richard Harrington (Watford)
• Gordon Henderson (Sittingbourne and Sheppey
• Adam Holloway (Gravesham)
• Kris Hopkins (Keighley)
• Bernard Jenkin (Harwich and North Essex)
• Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury and Atcham)
• Simon Kirby (Brighton Kemptown)
• Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford)
• Brandon Lewis (Great Yarmouth)
• Jack Lopresti (Filton and Bradley Stoke)
• Karl McCartney (Lincoln)
• Stephen McPartland (Stevenage)
• Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock)
• Nigel Mills (Amber Valley)
• Penny Mordaunt (Portsmouth North)
• Anne Marie Morris (Newton Abbot)
• James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis)
• Stephen Mosley (City of Chester)
• Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall)
• Sarah Newton (Truro and Falmouth)
• Caroline Nokes (Romsey and Southampton North)
• Guy Opperman (Hexham)
• Mark Pawsey (Rugby)
• Dominic Raab (Esher and Walton)
• Andrew Rosindell (Romford)
• Mark Spencer (Sherwood)
• Bob Stewart (Beckenham)
• Graham Stuart (Beverley and Holderness)
• Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes)
• Mike Weatherley (Hove)