‘Environment versus economy’ rhetoric and tax breaks for oil and gas
show Osborne still doesn’t get it
-
Coalition to bulldoze ahead with ‘growth at any cost’ planning reforms
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Toxic 50p tax cut for the rich exposes Lib Dem failure to dilute Tory
dogma
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Budget offers little for part time workers and people on lowest incomes
The 2012 Budget will do nothing to deliver a greener or more prosperous
economy – and shows the Coalition completely failing the fairness test, said
the UK’s Green MP today.
Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party and MP for Brighton Pavilion,
said:
"This true blue Budget is the nail in the coffin for this Government’s
‘greenest ever’ pledge.
"The determination to plough ahead with growth-at-any-cost planning
reforms and aviation expansion, throw money at North Sea oil and gas, and
ignore the potential of green energy shows that this administration’s
environmental policy is blue, not green.
"The Chancellor’s stubborn refusal to accept that investment in clean
renewable energy and energy efficiency can simultaneously tackle the
environmental crisis, stabilise the UK economy and create jobs is depriving
this country of a more prosperous future."
Lucas continued: "Meanwhile, Osborne’s toxic tax cut for the richest is a
slap in the face for the millions of working people across the country fighting
a losing battle against falling wages, job insecurity, rising living costs and
severe public spending cuts.
"Having failed to secure either a genuine mansion tax or a tycoon tax to
compensate for the Tories’ unfair 50p rate cut, disillusioned Liberal Democrat
MPs must once again be asking themselves what purpose they are serving in this
Coalition.
"The fact that public sector net borrowing hit £15.2bn in February is clear
proof that Osborne’s destructive austerity drive is failing even on its own
terms. And given the increasing levels of joblessness, the
Government’s blind belief in the private sector to compensate for huge public
sector job losses – 270,000 last year – looks increasingly delusional.
"We have a youth unemployment crisis of staggering proportions and a
whole section of society trapped in low paid work. While there were some positive
measures to tackle this in today’s Budget, it’s clear that the Government needs
to do far more."
The Green MP concluded: "This Budget is a regressive document from a regressive
Government. It will do nothing to deliver a fairer or more prosperous UK
economy – and it certainly won’t deliver a greener one."
ENDS
News from The Green Party website: http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/budget-2012-true-blue-is-nail-in-coffin-for-green-government-pledge.html
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