Mar 18 2007
The green police have been active in recent days
I woke up this morning to hear that Gordon Brown has refused to rule out air travel to go on holiday, whilst David Cameron’s rubbish has been investigated.
Recently I was criticised in a local paper when they examined my expenses last year as an MP for driving rather than going by train. They did?? not point out that?? it was cheaper for the taxpayer, nor did they consider how much CO2 I would have produced trying to get to Reading Station, 10 miles from my home,??on congested and inadequate roads??instead of driving, avoiding the main town centres on the way. Nor have I ever lectured anyone else to take the train rather than the car!
I am not surprised journalists now see this as huge sport. If the political classes are going to lecture everyone else about cutting their carbon footprints, of course journalists are going to examine the political boots as they trudge across the landscape.
I have a number of suggestions for them to follow up, to show just how this government lacks commonsense – or concern over wasting our money – when it comes to running their own activities.
1. How many government buildings have controls on lighting which turns the lights off when no-one is in the room?
??2. How many government buildings have seperate thermostat controls for different rooms and areas, and concentrate use during cold periods to minimise heating requirements?
3. Why do quangos and government departments send out so many glossy brochures and documents in hard copy form?
4.How many government buildings have up to date fuel efficient boilers?
5. Does the government insist on setting the thermostat to a higher level in winter than in summer, where air con is fitted?
6.What is the policy on the introduction of air con into government buildimgs?
7. Why are so many street lights left on all night on roads where there are no pedestrians?
8.Why do so many Ministers drive to the Commons from the offices when they could walk there?
9. Why do so many Councils narrow the highway, dig up the roads, and design traffic control systems that restrict the flow of traffic, causing more congestion?
10.Why has the government failed to provide enough new capacity on the railways if it is so sure they are the answer?
Conservatives are thinking of switching some??of the tax burden from pay as you earn to pay as you burn. Under this government the tax burden goes remorselessly up – with them it’s a case of we pay as they burn and earn.
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2 Responses to “The green police have been active in recent days”
John Redwood has been the Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. First attending Kent College, Canterbury, he graduated from Magdalen College...
Journalists are quite right to expose the hypocrisy of politicians who continue to lecture us about climate change and yet behave in ways contrary to those they wish to impose on the rest of us. I applaud your criticism of the Government.
As for the Conservative plan to switch some of the tax burden from pay as you earn to pay as you burn, this is nothing more than sloganising until you give details of which taxes will reduce and by how much. The sceptic could be excused for doubting that taxes will actually reduce and what will you do if revenues from “burning” drop, as is surely the real purpose of the tax if we are to believe Cameron and Osborne? More attention needs to be given to reducing the huge waste in public spending and consequently the tax burden – or have the Conservatives accepted the high spend high tax policy of Labour?
I am not a Climate Change Sceptic but I am a strong Cataclysmic Man Made Climate Change Sceptic. I cannot accept the CO2 hysteria that we now subjected to from all directions and, as CO2 is essential gas for life on this planet, cannot regard it as a pollutant. However, your suggestions are eminently sensible and should be introduced but how does one get sensible suggestions adopted?