Last updated 13:52, Wednesday, 03 December 2008

Not long ago the political consensus was that the major problem facing the world was climate change.

Over the last few months the threat of recession has taken over.

The Chancellor missed an excellent opportunity last week to tackle both problems simultaneously.

The threat of climate change has not gone away simply because of the threat of recession, and while creating new jobs by insulating homes is a step in the right direction, political ambition, of speed and scale equal to that shown in the economic crisis, is urgently needed to tackle global climate change and safeguard a clean and prosperous future for us all.

The reduction in VAT does nothing to combat global warming and is of very questionable value in stimulating the economy. The encouragement to even more over-consumption of what are mostly imported goods does nothing to improve UK employment and is environmentally irresponsible.

From the Conservatives we get only a proposal for inaction that demonstrates a total lack of ability to grasp the urgency of either problem. To his credit, the Lib-Dem spokesman Vince Cable did try to make some constructive points, but he too failed to combine the two problems and seek a common solution.

Only MEP Caroline Lucas, the leader of the Green Party, suggested a policy that would help in solving both problems – that any further borrowing should have been invested in creating a successful zero-carbon economy.

JILL PERRY & GEOFF SMITH
Green Party NW Eurolist Candidates
c/o Main Band House
Bullgill