Gordon Brown to stand firm on green tax

PM in fight to change UK lifestyles

Published:

PROGRAMME: Gordon Brown spoke at a summit today.

GORDON Brown was set to signal today he is prepared to take on public opinion over green taxes.

The Prime Minister was to insist “real leadership” is necessary to reduce Britain’s carbon footprint.

Announcing a £100 billion programme to slash greenhouse gas emissions, Mr Brown was due to say UK lifestyles must change over the next decade.

The Government has been under pressure over green incentives such as tax hikes for owners of the most polluting, gas-guzzling vehicles.

But, at a lower carbon economy summit in London today, Mr Brown was to say a low carbon society will not emerge from a “business as usual” approach.

“It will require real leadership from government – being prepared to make hard decisions on planning or on tax, for example, rather than tacking and changing according to the polls. It will require an investment programme of around £100 billion over the next 12 years.

“It will involve new forms of economic activity and social organisation.

“It will mean new kinds of consumer behaviour and lifestyles.

“And it will demand creativity, innovation and entrepreneurialism throughout our economy and our society.”

Thousands of new wind turbines could be built across the UK over the coming decade as part of the radical blueprint being unveiled today.

Business Secretary John Hutton acknowledged the “green” power plants would cost more and take up more land than conventional electricity generation, but said Britain had “no choice” about moving to lower-carbon energy.