Environment is just an excuse

How does a Labour government react to the threat of global warming, as revealed today in Sir Nicholas Stern’s alarming report? Do we really need to ask? The answer, as far as Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are concerned, is to tax, tax and tax again.

Their proposed “green” tax increases which could take hundreds of pounds from every working family, are a classic example of blinkered vision.

When it comes to cleaner energy, this Government has enormous powers to make a difference but has failed to use them.

For example, it is perfectly possible to produce clean, green diesel fuel from crops. And yet instead of encouraging this process, Gordon Brown has taxed it to the point where it can barely compete with dirty old petroleum.

Everyone knows that air travel is the biggest single threat to the atmosphere.

And yet aviation fuel is still tax-free and the Government is encouraging the biggest expansion in airports seen for a generation.

Why should people accept massive tax increases on car travel or expensive “eco-friendly” washing machines at a time when Whitehall is still pursuing a policy of unlimited travel, unfettered immigration and boundless economic growth?

And even if the UK were taxed to the hilt in the name of global warming, what’s the point? Britain’s contribution to this problem is negligible compared with that of America, China and India.

Why should we be hammered for tax when any savings we achieved would be so pointless?

Is “global warming” no more than a convenient justification to impose taxes that would have been raised anyway to pay for this Government’s out-of-control spending on a vast and growing public sector?

Cynical? Of course we are.

If the Government were genuinely frightened by global warming it would give a dramatic, significant and radical lead.

We are still waiting.

The toys which are simply bad news for BritainAs stately as a galleon, the biggest container ship in the world was today heading for Felixstowe with a cargo to make Santa’s eyes water.

Crackers, toys, dancing gorillas, pinball machines, MP3 players, electric guitars and thousands of other festive goodies are packed into 11,000 containers on Emma Maersk 3, a leviathan a quarter-mile long and 200 feet high.

This is globalisation in action. Products once made in England are today made in China and shipped around the world for a fraction of the cost of making them here.

It may be tidings of comfort and joy for China but it’s bad news for Britain.