FURIOUS motorists have branded Philip Hammond more “out of touch” than the GREENS amid fears of a fuel duty hike.

A thumping poll of 37,000 hard-up drivers warns a duty increase in the Budget would be “political suicide” for the Tories.

Campaign group FairFuel reveals that 87 per cent of its members strongly oppose a rumoured tax rise this Autumn to help the Government pay for the £20 billion NHS bonanza.

And they believe the Chancellor has no idea of the financial pain motorists are facing. Some 58.4 per cent claim Philip Hammond is “out of touch” on issues affecting motorists, van drivers and hauliers.

This compares with 56 per cent for the Greens and party co-leader Caroline Lucas. Nearly 50 per cent believe Environment Secretary Michael Gove is out of touch, similar to SNP chief Nicola Sturgeon.

Tory campaigner Rob Halfon and Boris Johnson are among those viewed to be “most in tune” with motorists’ concerns.

Motorists want the Government to hit Amazon with more tax, scrap HS2 or slash overseas aid before upping the fuel tax.

FairFuel co-founder Howard Cox stormed: “It’s staggering that drivers believe that the Treasury and key Ministers are just as out of touch with motoring issues as the Greens.

“Many even commented that the Green Agenda is too dominant in this Government – making them hit drivers unfairly simply to raise cash – and not to tackle air quality.
He added: “It would be political suicide for the Chancellor to hike duty on the world’s already highest taxed drivers.”

Ministers admit a fuel duty hike may be needed to help pay the NHS giveaway.

An inflation-linked increase to fuel duty would add 1.5p to sky-high pump prices from next April and raise £900 million a year more for the Treasury.

Fuel duty has been frozen ever since The Sun launched its ‘Keep it Down’ campaign in 2011.

Treasury insiders insist this has saved motorists billions in extra tax.

But campaigners claim fuel duty is still among the highest in the world, and motorists now face a slew of extra charges - from rip-off car parks to insurance premium tax and congestion charges.

Challenged about a possible rise in June, Treasury Minister Mel Stride would only say “everybody in their different way will have to pay a little bit more”.