Huhne Sets Out Lib Dem 'Green Tax Switch' Plans In Pershore

7.10.45pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 15th Sep 2006

Alex Bremer, Duty Night Manager (left), shows Richard Burt and Chris Huhne MP (centre) energy saving bulbs on display at the Co-op store in Pershore.

Shadow Environment Secretary, Chris Huhne MP joined West Worcestershire's Lib Dem parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt in Pershore last night [Thursday 14 September] to hammer home his Party's message about global warming. Mr Huhne spoke for nearly an hour and answered questions at a public meeting on the environment staged in St Andrew's Centre.

The former economist, who was runner up in the Party's recent leadership contest, said that his Party did not want to raise the overall tax take for the nation, but called for a "green tax switch" hitting the worst CO2 polluters, changing peoples' energy consumption habits and helping to fund a 2p cut in income tax.

Chris Huhne said: "We need tough decisions at home so that we have the standing abroad to fight climate chaos. We should switch to green taxes to change behaviour, not to raise cash for the state. Green tax revenue should go back in income tax cuts. So the more we change, the more we save.

"Higher vehicle excise duty on new gas-guzzlers, so that we buy low fossil fuel use cars. Taxing emissions from aircraft flights, instead of taxing passengers, so that airlines fly full and save fuel. And stopping the real fall in fuel duty and the climate change levy."

Mr Huhne also condemned the government for failing to stick to CO2 reduction targets and then cutting nearly £15 million from the flood defences budget. Richard Burt said that future plans for flood defences all along the Severn could be under threat as a result of the cuts.

The Lib Dem pair visited the Co-op store in Pershore earlier to promote the use of low energy light-bulbs to cut down on electricity consumption and fuel bills in the home. "Up to one-third can be saved on fuel bills by using low energy bulbs - and that's a great saving in CO2 emissions as well," said Richard Burt.