UK government 'would look at fuel rationing' as priority list revealed due to WW3 fears

 Brits could be hit with petrol rationing and a priority list at the pumps as World War Three fears and Middle East tensions send fuel prices into the stratosphere. Housing Secretary Steve Reed has broken his silence on emergency contingency plans as the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz threatens to choke global oil supplies.

With unleaded hitting an 18-month high of 144.5p and diesel soaring to 166.2p, the government's National Emergency Plan for Fuel could be dusted off ready to go.

Speaking on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on Sky News, Reed attempted to calm the nation, but admitted the government is watching the situation like a hawk.

He said: "There's no need to ration fuel. People should go around and buy their fuel just like they always would. If the situation were to change, then the government would look at what was required in that circumstance.

"We did intervene when it came to heating oil because we saw the prices escalating and people were seeing their bills doubling and tripling overnight. We can't have that, so we stepped in to support people."

If the taps are turned off, the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero has a pecking order for who gets to fill up.

According to the emergency blueprint, blue-light emergency services and "critical service vehicles" would be top of the hierarchy at the pumps, followed by utility providers, such as gas, electricity and water companies.

Next in line is public transport, including buses and diesel trains, followed by lorries hauling food to supermarkets and vital medical deliveries.

However, ordinary motorists could face quantity limits on every fill-up and slashed opening hours at local forecourts.

The alarm bells grew louder earlier this week after Labour Treasury minister Dan Tomlinson refused to dismiss the idea of rationing during a grilling on Times Radio.

When pressed on whether the government was drawing up battle plans for the pumps, Mr. Tomlinson said: "We will monitor the situation, and we'll monitor it carefully."

He noted that it is currently "too early to tell" what the long-term impact of the Iran conflict will be, but highlighted a £50 million support package already deployed for those reliant on heating oil.

Louisa James, political correspondent at ITV's Good Morning Britain, warned that the government's emergency toolkit includes a "temporary 50mph speed limit" to force drivers to burn less fuel.

While the official line remains that the UK has a "diverse and resilient" supply, the Energy Act 1976 gives ministers the nuclear option to seize control of fuel demand if the crisis turns into a full-blown national emergency.