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As the Independent Candidate for Dowlais and Pant in the By-Election on 25th June, I believe it's my duty to stand up for local residents and tackle the issues that matter.

Fairer fuel prices are one of my manifesto commitments, but given the overwhelming response from residents, I decided to start that work now rather than wait until after the election.

As residents of Merthyr Tydfil, we welcome the fact that Gerald Jones MP raised the issue of local fuel prices in Parliament, contacted fuel suppliers, engaged with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), and met directly with Asda, resulting in a reduction of 5p per litre which was quickly reversed due to the Middle East conflict.

However, during his Parliamentary contribution on 26 February 2026, Gerald Jones stated that the CMA had not felt the need to act and expressed his hope that the regulator would "come to the table and take whatever action it can."

Since then, residents continue to report fuel prices in Merthyr that are significantly higher than neighbouring communities and, in many cases, above national averages.

The reduction achieved following public pressure demonstrated that action is possible. What residents now need is transparency regarding what has happened since and what further action is being pursued on their behalf.

This raises important questions that deserve clear answers:

• What correspondence has been sent to the CMA to date, and can this be made publicly available?

• What response, if any, has been received from the CMA since February 2026?

• What follow-up action has been taken after the initial correspondence?

• Has the issue been escalated within the CMA following its decision not to investigate?

• Have further meetings been held with fuel suppliers since March 2026?

• Has additional evidence, fuel pricing data or consumer impact information been submitted to support concerns regarding fuel pricing in Merthyr?

• Have any formal complaints, evidence submissions or requests for regulatory intervention been submitted?

• Have other relevant regulatory and enforcement bodies been approached, including:

The CMA Fuel Monitoring Function
Trading Standards
National Trading Standards
The Department for Business and Trade
Welsh Government
• If so, what responses were received and what actions or recommendations were provided?

• What options remain available if the CMA continues to decline to investigate?

• What are the next steps to ensure Merthyr motorists receive fair treatment?

This petition is not about criticism for the sake of criticism. It is about transparency, accountability and ensuring that a matter affecting thousands of residents does not simply disappear from public discussion.

We therefore call upon Gerald Jones MP, fuel suppliers, the Competition and Markets Authority and any other relevant bodies to:

• Publish a summary of actions taken to date.

• Provide transparency regarding correspondence and responses received.

• Explain what evidence has been gathered and submitted.

• Outline what further escalation routes remain available.

• Confirm which regulatory and enforcement bodies have been engaged and what responses they have provided.

• Publish a clear plan of action and next steps.

The issue has now been raised publicly, raised in Parliament, discussed with suppliers and referred to the CMA. Residents are therefore entitled to understand what progress has been made, what obstacles remain, and what further action will be taken until this long-running issue is properly addressed.

Merthyr motorists should not pay more simply because of where they live.

If enough residents stand together, we can demonstrate that this is not an isolated complaint but a community-wide concern demanding transparency, scrutiny, accountability and meaningful action.