Ed Davey MP

It is vital that Europe implements a 30% cut in carbon emissions by 2020, Nick Clegg and Ed Davey have said. Writing in the Guardian, the Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Secretary insist that ambitious targets for reducing emissions will "help grow our low-carbon industries", ensuring Europe remains competitive as well as boosting the UK economy.

David Cameron was today accused by petrol retailers of "creating a crisis" out of the fuel strike today as a row broke out over Government advice to motorists to fill up their tanks.

Brian Madderson, the chairman of the Petrol Federation, told BBC Radio 4: "This Government appears intent on creating a crisis out of a serious concern, and we would have told them, had we been engaged ahead, that there are now 6,000 fewer forecourts than there were at the time of the last blockade in 2000.

The Unite union has agreed to talks with conciliation service Acas in order to try to prevent a strike by petrol tanker drivers.

Unite assistant general secretary Diana Holland said: “We welcome the prospect of exploratory talks and await a formal invitation from Acas. Unite has said all along that we want a negotiated settlement through meaningful talks.

The news came after Labour leader Ed Miliband earlier urged the Government to "do the responsible thing" and get oil firms and unions together to negotiate.

The Prime Minister and Francis Maude both advised the public to fill up their tanks with petrol to avoid shortages in the event of a strike.

Mr Maude said having "a bit of petrol in a jerry can in the garage is a sensible precaution to take", but within minutes the Fire Brigades Union warned that it would be illegal and unsafe to keep a full jerry can in a garage. The Cabinet Office minister then denied he had offered specific advice on the issue.

Mr Cameron told a press conference that there was "absolutely no justification" for strike action planned by fuel tanker drivers but he was contradicted by the Retail Motor Industries Federation, which said stations had their lowest stocks ever due to financial strains.

Following a meeting of the COBRA committee this afternoon, a Downing Street spokesman said: "Ministers also agreed that motorists should continue to take sensible precautions to prepare for the impacts of a possible strike. There is no need to queue for petrol, but in the normal course of business, motorists should consider keeping their tanks topped up. But there is no shortage of fuel at present and forecourts are being replenished."

There was also rancour about Mr Maude's words on storing extra fuel, with the head of the Fire Brigades Union, Matt Wrack, saying it was "grossly irresponsible" and would put the public and firefighters in danger.

David Miliband yesterday admitted that the government wouldn't have entered the conflict in Iraq if it knew then what it knows now. The foreign secretary was speaking at a foreign affairs spokesmen debate on the BBC.