Kingston Sees a Green Tax Switch

1.29.01pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 23rd Oct 2006

Edward Davey MP and Kingstons Green Tax Switch volunteers

This Saturday, Kingston and Surbiton's MP, Edward Davey, was out on the streets outside Marks and Spencer's Kingston (Clarence Street) giving out leaflets explaining the Liberal Democrats' national campaign for a Green Tax Switch - shifting taxes to help stop climate change.

Edward Davey, Liberal Democrat MP for Kingston and Surbiton, wanted to raise awareness in Kingston about the dangers of climate change and the need for "real action, not photo opportunities" and to spell out the Liberal Democrats' new Green Tax Switch policy. The Green Tax Switch will switch taxes from work onto taxes on carbon emissions and other pollutants. Not only will it start to make a difference to climate change, it will also be a fairer tax as it will lift 2 million people from paying income tax altogether.

Speaking after a day campaigning on the street stall, Edward Davey said:

"Local people were alarmed to see our map showing over half of Britain would be under water if the polar ice caps melt. Many people understand that climate change needs urgent action by Governments and were interested in our ideas of income tax cuts linked with new tough environmental taxes.

"A number of people said that there is no point politicians doing photo ops hugging husky dogs and riding bicycles, if they don't put forward real policies. One resident said, they'd ride a bicycle if they also had a chauffeur to carry their suit! People wanted real policies not soundbites, and we got a really positive reaction to our ideas.

Background

http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/greentaxswitch

Liberal Democrats want fair tax, not more tax.

The Liberal Democrats have a firm plan to take real action - the green tax switch.

• Will give everyone a green income tax cut, of 2p in the pound, giving the average family an extra £1,000 a year in their pocket. (Liberal Democrats will also scrap the unfair Council Tax).

• Will then increase green taxes as a share of national income. (Green taxes have fallen from 3.6 per cent of GDP in 1999 to just 2.9 per cent of GDP in 2005).

• Will keep fuel duty in line with inflation to ensure there is always an incentive to save fuel.

• Will abolish Airport Taxes, which tax each passenger, and instead we will tax each plane that takes off on its emissions. This would reward full flights and penalise half-empty ones