goslow wrote:Interesting idea about an extra tax on fuel kenneal. I suppose that could be simply to raise VAT from 5% to the standard rate? I expect this idea will be on the table for either party even just to help with the deficit, but having green tax function too.
I hope some torygraph readers find your arguments persuasive!
With the levels of insulation I would propose, Passivhaus levels, people would be saving 70 to 80% on their fuel bills so a high rate of tax would be possible. It would hit people in larger houses with higher temperatures most so it should be aimed at those who can afford to pay it. It could be further targeted by giving a basic allowance free of tax.
It would be an essential tax, not so much a green tax, as it would be necessary to get back the money printed by the government to pay for the insulation in order to curb the inflation caused by printing the money.
Labour? Conservative? Liberal? Pah! Look what happened in Parliament yesterday:
A cross-party group came within eight votes of passing a new green standard for power plants last night. Poor Lib Dem turnout has been blamed for stopping the measure passing.
In a sizeable rebellion, 27 Labour MPs last night voted against the government, and in favour of introducing a new green standard for power stations that would outlaw the building of the most polluting power stations like Kingsnorth.
The amendment to introduce an emissions performance standards (EPS) for power plants was narrowly defeated by just eight votes. Thirteen Lib Dem MPs, including Nick Clegg, Vince Cable and Chris Huhne did not bother to turn up. Had they done so, and voted for the measure they themselves have championed, the government would have been defeated and Parliament would have ended the era of dirty coal.
David Cameron who has been a prominent supporter of the EPS led many of his Conservative MPs through the chamber to support the new green standard – but thirty nine of his MPs did not vote either.
Among the Labour backbenchers who supported the new green measure were Alan Simpson, Jon Cruddas, and Colin Burgon, who was a prominent figure in the Leeds miner’s strike in the 1980s. A few Labour MPs including Dianne Abbott, Fabian Hamilton and Austin Mitchell told climate campaigners they’d vote for the amendment but then either voted against it or abstained.
JohnB wrote:How do you find out which MPs voted for it? I'm interested to check out my MP, Adam Price of Plaid Cymru.
This link shows you the outcome of the "Energy Bill — Emissions performance standard" vote. The site lets you enter you postcode and will find your local MP, and whether they voted for or against this motion.
caspian wrote:This link shows you the outcome of the "Energy Bill — Emissions performance standard" vote. The site lets you enter you postcode and will find your local MP, and whether they voted for or against this motion.
Thanks. He looks promising. Looks like I'll be voting Plaid Cymru as I don't think there's a local Green candidate.
It is interesting to note that a greater proportion of Tories voted for the bill than did LimDems and that proportion included the Tory front bench. The LimDem front bench was conspicuous by its absence.
The trouble with a vote of this sort is that the Government would argue that it had technical shortcomings that it wouldn't like to be committed to and so voted nay, while the Opposition, being the Opposition, would automatically vote the opposite, in this case aye, no matter what was actually in the amendment. The Liberals, as sadly so often, are all over the place. It really is a rubbish system.
It was only a single line whip and a greater proportion of Tories voted than usually do according to the website. If they'd really been about embarrassing the government they would have got enough people out to do it.
I wouldn't necessarily blame the Government on this, I'd suggest the NIMBY and BANANA fraternity have played a large part in the stalling of RE rollout. I think society in general has become very complacent about energy as well as becoming a lot more interested in conservation, which creates a conflict with RE that's in its face; those people just want the status quo to continue and not believe that we have to make any sacrifices of our playgrounds in the countryside.
