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Minister rubbishes Tory recycling reward plans
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent24.11.09
Cabinet minister Ed Miliband accused the Tories of a 'greenwash' today after they unveiled plans to slash energy bills and waste.
Before next month's Copenhagen summit on global warming, shadow Chancellor George Osborne pledged that a Tory government would order Whitehall departments to cut carbon emissions by 10 per cent within a year.
The Treasury would reduce their funding if they fail to meet the target.
Mr Osborne also proposed a recycling scheme for households which would reward them with vouchers of up to £130 a year, which could be used at Marks & Spencer and other stores.
But Climate Change Secretary Mr Miliband dismissed Mr Osborne's plans to protect the environment, claiming they did not involve any extra funding. Referring to the Conservative leader's 2006 trip to an Arctic research station in Norway, he said: "George Osborne's latest announcement is as about as credible as David Cameron's photo op on the glacier.
"The truth is that the Tories have opposed Labour's extra public investment, including the £400 million allocated at the time of the budget for new green industries. So why should anyone believe a piece of greenwash from George Osborne?"
Mr Osborne was to deliver a speech at Imperial College in London saying: "Carrots work better than sticks. Instead of punishing people, as Labour do with bin taxes, the Conservatives want to encourage families by paying them to recycle."
Reader views (6)
Maybe Miliband should explain how building a 3rd runway at Heathrow improves the environment before he starts criticising the ideas of others.
- Doug Watt, london (EUSSR)14
Is Ed in the same Cabinet that proposed a Bill to halve our deficit in four years? Is he also aware that the Govt is committed to large reductions in energy usage?
- Dave B, Beckenham
All of which means the idea will be recycled by Labour and promoted as a radical new idea from Labour in a couple of months
- Keith, london
And ain't that the truth! - I'd put money on Ed Millipede spinning out this exact idea, just in the run up to the election.
Nu-Liebour have only been good at one thing - Stealing the Conservative's ideas and plagiarising them as their own.
- Anon Pc, London, UK
All of which means the idea will be recycled by Labour and promoted as a radical new idea from Labour in a couple of months
- Keith, london
'Climate Change Secretary Mr Miliband dismissed Mr Osborne's plans to protect the environment, claiming they did not involve any extra funding' Yeah, right. So he's noticed then. Osborne would appear to be trying to reduce the waste of electricity etc by Whitehall, at a time when we are being told by government not to waste fuel and reduce our carbon footprint, otherwise sea levels will rise etc etc. Advice that public bodies are good at giving, but not implementing. You just have to look at the waste of fuel lighting up public buildings at night, (all of which can be seen from the glow of ordinary street lights). The we had the wonderful artists dream to illuminate Durham Cathedral, oh, and now we have a proposal to light up of all 60+ miles of Hadrians Wall. Cut carbon emmisions, save money, these two statements don't exist in the public sector, it's only the plebs who are forced to comply with the dictats.
- Alan, carlisle uk
All Milliband and his band of merry men do is charge us more in so called green taxes and nothing changes.
- Tojo, Hythe Kent
