Lib Dem MP drops in to give support for Green Tax Switch Campaign

6.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sat 28th Oct 2006

"This is about taxing pollution not people" said Andrew Simpson

Evan Harris Lib Dem MP for Oxford West & Abingdon joined Northampton Liberal Democrat Councillors and Campaigners in the town centre on Saturday as part of the Lib Dems' campaign to promote a switch to Green Taxes.

"Liberal Democrats want to fundamentally change the way Britain is taxed. We need to switch to green taxes to switch off climate chaos. "Governments currently tax good things, like work. We need to switch to taxing bad things instead, like pollution and carbon emissions." said Evan.

He was joined by Lib Dem campaigners who handed out leaflets showing how under Lib Dem proposals the average tax payer would save £1,000 and with new Green Taxes they would be helping stop climate change.

"Green taxes can change our behaviour and safeguard our planet for our children and their children. This is about using taxes in a new way to change behaviour, not to raise money for the Government." said Andrew Simpson, Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Northampton North Constituency.

NOTES:

Liberal Democrats want fair tax, not more tax.

Labour and Conservative politicians generate huge amounts of hot air saying something must be done to save our environment. The Liberal Democrats have a firm plan to take real action - the green tax switch.

l We 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).

l We 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). The more people switch their behaviour, the more of the tax cut they will save.

l We will keep fuel duty in line with inflation to ensure there is always an incentive to save fuel.

l We 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.