West Berkshire Supports Green Taxes

8.10.46am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 31st Oct 2006

David Rendel and Sharon Bowles MEP talking to a visitor to the Green Tax Stall

Newbury Liberal Democrats campaign for a switch away from income tax to green taxes won widespread support in Northbrook Street Market last Thursday and Saturday. At a Liberal Democrat stall activists (including MEP Sharon Bowles, Parliamentary Spokesperson David Rendel, and both District and Town Councillors) were asking members of the public to sign up to the "Green Tax Pledge" in support of lower income taxes offset by more taxes on pollution, for example on large gas-guzzling cars and half empty planes. "After years of trying to get the public to recognize the importance of environmental pollution and the danger of global warming, we were delighted to find this week that people have at last taken on board the seriousness of the situation. As so often happens, Liberal Democrat policies which were once widely derided have now become accepted wisdom", commented David Rendel. "Sadly though there are still some people who are too lazy or too selfish to make the effort to lead more environmentally friendly lifestyles. We have to find ways to tax polluters which will persuade even the laziest and most selfish to think of the wider benefits they can bring to mankind by avoiding waste and taking care to use up natural resources only when it is essential to do so."