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Cameron 'failing to deliver on green vows'
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent10.09.08
David Cameron's green credentials came under fire today from environmental groups.
They accused the Tory leader of talking up his party's stance on tackling climate change but failing to deliver firm commitments.
"The Conservatives' approach to the environment in 2007-08 has been more presentation than substance and the issue has had a far lower profile," an alliance of green groups said in its annual report on political parties.
"The gap between (the Tories') aspirations and commitments is increasingly alarming.
"Much clearer plans are needed on how the Conservatives plan to deliver their environmental commitments."
Mr Cameron has used the green agenda to rebrand his party with the slogan: "Vote blue, go green."
But shadow chancellor George Osborne has sparked doubts over whether the Tories are prepared to push through green taxes and other measures in the face of public opposition. He said in a recent interview: "I think green taxes are a very powerful tool in tackling climate change.
"But the case is made much more difficult by Gordon Brown and Labour because they have used them as stealth taxes, by which I mean they don't replace some other tax."
However, the Tories denied they were retreating in the battle against global warming.
"Preserving and enhancing our natural and urban environments, as well as tackling the threat of climate change, remain important priorities for the Conservative party," said shadow environment secretary Peter Ainsworth.
The alliance, which includes Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and WWF, also accused Gordon Brown of a " contradictory and incoherent" approach on the environment, while the Lib-Dems' "lead" on green issues was said to have "waned".
Reader views (2)
It's clearly not all about polar bears Duncan. If even half of the projected climate changes take place you may have to migrate back to Peckham as the island you currently reside on may well be too hot to inhabit and/or submerged under rising seas.
One of your issues is 'immigration', how much will you moan when millions of Bangladeshies are displaced from their low lying Country? We need to look slightly further ahead as well as dealing with issues like crime and the NHS.
- Pete Kayle, London, UK
Ask anybody you know to list 10 thngs they are worried about at the moment and I bet nothing GREEN comes into play yet the parties think that they are the things people are bothered about. It shows just how out of touch with reality they are. Stop with the Green policies and concentrate with what is bothering people like crime, inflation, education, the NHS, immigration, fuel costs, unemployment. Get the picture. These are the things people want action on not saving polar bears
- Duncan Walker, Ex Peckham now Samui Thailand
