Archived press release

Foe welcomes labour's new guarantees on the environment

5 February 1997

Friends of the Earth today welcomed a number of "new and highly significant electoral guarantees" from Shadow Environment Secretary Michael Meacher and called on the Labour party to include ten specific commitments in its manifesto as part of "a meaningful and specific programme of action" to deliver its environmental policies.

Labour's new guarantees on the environment are outlined in a letter from Mr Meacher [1]to FOE Director Charles Secrett. In it he says, for the first time, that Labour will now "go to the country guaranteeing to boost energy conservation and renewables, public transport and rail freight, wildlife habitat protection, and air and water quality, while reducing waste,CO2, acid rain and ozone pollution". He also reiterated that Labour will "empower every citizen with basic environmental rights".

Charles Secrett, of Friends of the Earth, said:
"I am delighted with Mr Meacher's unprecedented guarantee that Labour will go to the country on the basis of such a wide-ranging set of environmental commitments. This is extremely significant, as the environment is now featuring as a major election issue for the first time.

But, it is equally important that Labour explain to the electorate how they plan to deliver on these commitments once in Government. We have called on the Labour leadership to endorse a specific 10 point action plan that will turn these general policy objectives into best environmental practice. It is essential for the Labour Party to clarify how they intend to implement these new electoral guarantees - using the regulatory, fiscal and expenditure levers available.Otherwise they will remain unfulfilled promises."

In a letter replying to Michael Meacher, Charles Secrett laid down a 'green gauntlet' to the Labour Party - a challenge to endorse ten specific commitments:

Upon coming into office to immediately:

1.Halt the Nirex Rock Characterisation Facility (a nuclear waste dump) under Sellafield.

2.Halt the Salisbury bypass, and support the public transport and traffic management alternatives.

3.Pledge to environmental tax reform and a gradated carbon tax, and to begin in Labour's first Budget by: a) introducing transport taxes that discriminate in favour of green fuels and fuel efficient engines and against company cars, concessionary parking and high mileage driving; b) keeping VAT on fuel at 8% while reducing VAT on energy efficient goods/materials to 8%; and c) reviewing all new road schemes, and switching money from cancelled road schemes into public transport investment.

Within the first year of office:

4.Introduce new sustainable development indicators to replace GDP as the benchmark of well-being.

Within the first two years of office:

5.Bring The Wildlife Bill into law, which will greatly increase protection for the UK's best wildlife areas (SSSIs).

6.Introduce the Road Traffic Reduction Bill national targets to reduce traffic by 5% on 1990 levels by 2005, and 10% by 2010.

7.Begin a nation-wide energy conservation programme targeting the fuel poor, and covering 500,000 homes a year.

8.Introduce air quality targets for all health-threatening pollutants based on precautionary human health standards.

9.Introduce Freedom of Environment Information Legislation.

Within the first term of Government:

10.Introduce statutory environmental rights to clean air, pure water, uncontaminated land and unadulterated food.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Mr Meacher wrote to Charles Secrett [30 January 1997] in response to an article(written by Charles Secrett) in Red Pepper Magazine which was critical of the labour parties failure to take the lead on environmental issues in the UK. A copy of Mr Meacher's letter and Charles Secrett's response is available.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust