Plaid Cymru’s Treasury spokesman Jonathan Edwards today slammed “the complacency of Welsh MPs”, as 50% failed to turn up for a vote on fuel prices.

Plaid Cymru and the SNP last night led a Westminster debate on how to tackle rising fuel prices. Both parties wanted the government to establish a fuel duty regulator.

But their motion was defeated and voted down by a majority of 303 to 14.

This morning, voting figures showed that from Wales, 11 MPs from the Conservative and Liberal Democrats voted against the motion… while 25 Labour MPs abstained.

Mr Edwards said today: “The voting records of Welsh MPs on this issue are quite frankly disgusting. This is a clear case of putting party before people.

“In 2008, Labour MPs voted against a similar motion, while Tory MPs abstained – a direct role reversal of what happened last night.”

He added: “Plaid Cymru has been calling for a fuel duty regulator since 2005. There is a huge amount of support backing the call for a Fuel Duty Regulator right now, with support coming from a number of industry groups such as the Road Haulage Association, the Federation of Small Businesses and farming unions such as the NFU and the FUW.

“The UK government has to stop sticking its head in the sand over fuel prices and do something.”