SNP Westminster Transport spokesperson, Angus MacNeil MP, has described Gordon Brown as "out of touch and on the run", after the Prime Minister ignored an appeal by the Na h-Eileanan an Iar MP for action on sky high fuel prices, and for Scotland to get a share of the oil windfall flowing to the Treasury.

Speaking after his exchange with the Prime Minister today, Mr MacNeil said:

"The whole country is up in arms at the cost of fuel, but Gordon Brown isn’t listening. Oil has become New Labour’s new taboo. New Labour in Scotland used to refuse to discuss Iraq – now a Scottish Prime Minister at Westminster refuses to discuss Scottish oil and energy.

"I don’t know when the Prime Minister last filled up his car at a forecourt, but this morning my constituents were paying more than 1.40 a litre, and 6.50 a gallon, for fuel.

"Gordon Brown is out of touch and on the run over oil. The Prime Minister has shut his ears and turned his back on the Islands and rural Scotland.

"Since May the Treasury has had a 1.1 billion windfall from soaring oil prices, and Government figures show the Treasury will make an additional 4-5 billion in oil revenues this year.

"Across Scotland vital public services, farmers, fishermen, hauliers and manufacturers are all seeing the price of fuel go through the roof. And the knock on effect has seen food prices shoot up for hard working families. Businesses are becoming unsustainable, councils are having to divert funding and yet Labour refuse to see any problem.

"Even 10% of the windfall coming to Scotland to help establish a fund to help essential services and industries against rising costs makes obvious sense.

"Likewise the SNP's proposed fuel price regulator would deliver stability on oil prices in the future.

"The Chambers of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses, the Road Hauliers Association, the National Farmers Union, Fishing organisations and the Taxi federation have all raised concerns over fuel costs. They have all called for the forthcoming duty increase to be ditched, and for action to alleviate the financial pain their members currently face. Instead of listening to these calls Gordon Brown has stuck his fingers in his ears.

"With this kind of wilful ignorance of the most significant issue affecting Scotland's families and businesses today it is no wonder voters are rejecting Labour and turning to the SNP as the only credible alternative to Labour in Scotland."

Full transcript of the exchange:

Angus MacNeil: The Prime Minister might want to watch ‘Truth, Lies, Oil and Scotland’ on the BBC tonight about Scotland’s oil, which is not even at its peak. Can I give the Prime Minister another truth? My constituents in Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra are paying the greatest fuel tax in the UK with fuel prices at 1.40 a litre – that’s about 6.50 a gallon. Will he give some of the 4.4bn fuel windfall to offset fuel by 3% in the Scottish Islands, something he has already agreed to do for areas of rural France!

Gordon Brown: It is precisely because Scotland is part of the United Kingdom that there are 200,000 more people in employment in Scotland today than 10 years ago and just as Scotland benefits from all the measures we’ve taken to deal with fuel poverty, so too North Sea oil is part the revenues of the United Kingdom and I will fight to defend the Union of the United Kingdom. I hope all other parties except for the Nationalists will continue to do so as well.