25 Apr 2010

Greens should vote Lib dem?

well Lord Avebury has been superb but here in Berkshire we remember the Lib Dems supporting the Newbury by-pass...a giant road like a motorway that cut through fields and forests of our beautiful county.


A Green Party spokesperson today branded the Lib Dems “the biggest eco-charlatans on this part of the planet”:

“Objectively speaking, the Lib Dems are the least trustworthy party on the environment. They have proven themselves the party most likely to say one thing and do another. Their track record is spotty to say the least.

“They say they want a low-carbon economy with new green jobs. But last week they revealed a plan to put the pathetic sum of £3bn into this, promising only a few thousand new jobs. The Green Party, on the other hand, has started with science-based CO2 targets, done the arithmetic and shown how to pay for a £44bn green investment package, which would create over a million new jobs.javascript:void(0)

“The Lib Dems talk about stopping roadbuilding but they’ve supported practically every new road from the Newbury bypass to the M74, and they’re still supporting the Lancaster Northern Bypass. They opposed Heathrow’s third runway but they’ve supported Manchester’s second runway and airport expansions just about everywhere else. They talk about green waste management but they currently support incinerator projects in Exeter, Plymouth and Barnstaple. In Essex they’ve proclaimed support for a zero waste strategy, which means no incineration, but they’re still supporting incinerators in Essex.

“They say they want a zero carbon economy by 2050, but they’ve opposed windfarm proposals in Cornwall, Cumbria, Devon and Worcestershire. In Lewisham they recently voted against a Green Party budget package that would have insulated 25,000 homes for free.

“In their proposed ‘green tax switch’ the Lib Dems promised to ‘cut income tax and switch to green taxes on pollution instead’ – which means either we’d have less money for schools and hospitals as we reduce pollution, or else we have to keep polluting in order to keep the tax revenue coming in. Frankly, the Lib Dems are the biggest eco-charlatans on this part of the planet.”

5 comments:

Paul Morris said...

Most people would agree that the Greens have better environmental policies than the Lib Dems. However, alas, under the current electoral system the Greens have no realistic chance in the majority of constituencies.

Lib Dems are the party most likely to deliver a more proportional / fair system of voting, which will benefit Greens greatly next time. They are arguably preferable to New Labour or Tories on the environment.

It would be tragic to see seats going to the Tories and their banker friends where this could have been prevented if Green voters had opted tactically for LibDems.

Derek Wall said...

rather more important to vote for some winning candidates like Caroline who can promote PR and green politics.

I am not convinced the lib dems will create PR, other than AMS which is not actually proportionally.

Paul Morris said...

I agree that everyone (incl. LibDems) should vote Green in Brighton Pavilion. Caroline Lucas will make a great M.P.

In most other constituencies, a LibDem or other tactical vote is likely to be more effective for the environmental movement on this occasion.

Hopefully we'll then be able to vote Green with our hearts and our minds next time.

merrick said...

There is a fundamental contradiction at the heart of the LibDems. They are social liberals, which means acting as if everyone were equal and being fair. They are also economic liberals, which means letting those with the most money have the most influence.

Thus they promise everything to everyone. Like anyone else, in opposition they talk up the social justice, and in power they cosy up to big money.

Someone should say something about it to a bunch of LibDems when they're about to hear from their leader...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DByOntLS1VU

Anonymous said...

"they currently support incinerator projects in ... Plymouth" Pack of lies.
http://plymouth-libdems.org.uk/news/000084/no_to_incineration_say_local_lib_dems.html

Plymouth Liberal

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