Letter: With the Copenhagen summit growing near and a recent global day of action highlighting the need to return the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million, it seems extraordinary that the probable next prime minister of this nation is failing to see the importance of tackling climate change properly.

In his conference speech, and another in London recently, David Cameron has spelt out his plans for a future Conservative government’s stance on energy and the environment.

Instead of showing a depth of understanding and intentions of strong leadership, the Tory leader’s stance was weak, irresponsible and vacuous.

Cameron talked about a “post-bureaucratic age” and effectively promised us a return to Thatcherism, showing that his guiding principle is that profit must come first and government isn’t allowed to tell industry what to do.

The best he can do is plan a “working group” with manufacturers to appeal to them to be responsible, and politely ask them to make television sets without a standby mode.

Surely, millions of British people want to see much stronger regulation in some markets, not less. It is government’s role to protect the nation, not leave it to the ravages of market forces.

Despite all of the claims to have changed into “modern” Conservatives, Cameron’s plans to tiptoe around his chums in big business signal not only a complete lack of understanding of the major issues of our time, but a desire to turn back the clock to the kind of unregulated markets which lined us up for the worst economic meltdown in living history.

The Green Party sees what 30 years of putting profit before people has done to this country. It is time for a real change.

Tom Harris, Election Officer, Stafford and Stone Green Party.