Tories Deep-Six Plans For Carbon Tax On Cheap Airfares - Guardian

[hatrack]

Conservative activists yesterday snubbed ambitious green tax plans put forward by David Cameron's advisers, by voting in favour of budget flights despite their environmental impact.

John Gummer, the former environment secretary and head of the party's quality of life policy taskforce, said carbon taxes would undoubtedly be imposed. Zac Goldsmith, the environmentalist and fellow taskforce member, urged the Tories to shift taxes "away from good things like labour to bad things like pollution", while the author and eco-campaigner Jeanette Winterson encouraged the Tories to become the party of the land again.

motion suggesting cheap flights were "a false economy" by 57% to 43%, indicating the difficulties the Conservatives will face in setting out a green agenda.

Party spokesmen played down the issue in speeches yesterday, although Peter Ainsworth, the shadow environment secretary, said that green taxes should rise as a proportion of total tax and warned: "It's no good ministers bleating about climate change and then supporting a trebling of airport capacity". Chris Grayling, the shadow transport secretary, did not discuss flights. But he told activists: "Tackling the environmental impact of road transport doesn't mean trying to drive cars off our roads. It's the technology that needs to change."

EDIT

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/conservatives/story/0,,1886215,00.html

[Greeby]

1. Methinks Dave The Chameleon is falling flat on his face

:eyes:

[hatrack]

2. Doesn't exactly convey steely resolve and commitment, does it?

:puke:

[YankeyMCC]

3. Isn't that interesting

I listen to BBC on my Sirius radio a lot and all day yesterday there was coverage of how the conservative party was trying to make environmental responsibility part of their platform. But I guess it was just a minority after all.

The majority still need...I don't know what...to give them a clue.