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Brown misses chance for more green spending
17 April 2002
Chancellor Gordon Brown has promised major new spending on the National Health Service - and put up personal taxation to pay for it. But he has missed his chance to use green tax policies to improve other public services - and particularly to find more money for our crumbling rail network.
Surrender to the fuel protesters means that the cost of motoring will continue to fall. To keep motoring costs stable, fuel duty should have been raised by 1.2p this year for petrol and 1.5p for diesel. This would have raised £405 million in 2002. Friends of Earth estimates that an increase of 75% in spending on rail is needed over and above the Government's 10 year transport plan. The cost would be £26 billion over the 10 year period. £11 billion could be raised from fuel duty if overall motoring costs were kept at the current level, and up to £16 billion from cuts in the roads programme. Cheaper motoring means more congestion, more pollution and more emissions of climate changing gases.
FOE's eighth blueprint for a green budget is available from the Media Unit.
Text Message 07764 125125 to Send Your Rail Protest to the Heart of Government!
Or see: www.stoptrainrobbery.com
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jun 2008
