Dundee Liberal Democrats slam "green cop out" Budget
Dundee Liberal Democrats today (Friday 14th March) said that this week's Budget was a "green cop out" which kicks the difficult decisions on environmental taxes into the long grass.
Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg also accused the Government of doing nothing to help millions of hard pressed families struggling to make ends meet.
Among the proposals in what has been widely seen as a dull Budget were:
- Increases in tax on alcohol and high polluting cars
- Number of green tax measures (see below) but none will be implemented before 2009 at the earliest
- UK economy facing its biggest slowdown since Labour came to power - growth forecast for 2008 cut to two per cent and budget deficit for this year up £7 billion to £43 billion
- Additional £1 billion to tackle child poverty - but this is £2.5bn less than is need to meet government target
- Public spending in the coming three years will grow by 2.2% a year [BBC] [Guardian] [Release]
Nick Clegg said, "This is not a green budget. This is not a people's budget. This is a con trick budget that protects the rich and abandons the poor.
"The Government has bottled it on green taxes and failed to implement the necessary measures to cut child poverty. This is a budget which gives only limited help to the poor, but maintains special treatment for the rich.
"A budget designed to fill a black hole masquerading as good for the environment.
"A budget which will not make Britain fairer, and a budget that is a great green cop out, as most of the new green taxes are being delayed. After 11 years in Government, Labour has completed its fiscal fusion with the Tory Party."
Here in Dundee, LibDem Council Group Leader Cllr Fraser Macpherson said, "After 11 years in government, Labour is, frankly, worn out. The Chancellor's dull budget simply does not properly address the real issues facing Britain."