Archived press release

Labour fails green test in first 100 days

8 August 1997

Despite a series of encouraging green speeches from senior members of the Government during their first 100 days in office (including the Prime Minister at the New York Earth Summit in June), the new administration has neglected many opportunities to protect the environment. These missed opportunities cast grave doubts over the Government's pledge to "place environment at the heart of policy-making" [1]. The missed opportunities include:

The failure to include environmental legislation in the Queen's Speech. Of 26 Bills,none are concerned with protection of the environment. Bills on wildlife protection or a new(environmentally sensitive) housing programme could have bolstered Labour's green credentials.

The failure to include any ecological taxes in the Budget. Instead of discouraging pollution, waste and over consumption, the budget introduced a further perverse incentive to use more energy by cutting VAT on domestic fuel but not on energy-saving goods, like draft-proofing or energy efficient light bulbs.

The failure to honour, in the recent roads review, pre-election promises to not build the Birmingham Northern Relief Road (BNRR) and to 'scrap plans to widen the M25'[2]. Even though the Deputy Prime Minister has said that "I do not think the BNRR will do anything to relieve such congestion [on the M6] as its supporters insist it will." [3], and despite Labour in opposition saying it "..would not build the BNRR." [4], this road has been given the go-ahead. The Government has also yielded to opposition from the road lobby and proponents of the new Heathrow Terminal 5 by fudging its promise to scrap the M25 widening and announcing a longer review of the scheme.

The failure to protect a key wildlife site under threat from being ploughed by a farmer to obtain more agricultural subsidy; a situation that Mr Blair described as 'crazy' just before the election [5]. Under very similar circumstances John Gummer made a last minute, pre-election, intervention to save a key South Downs nature reserve also threatened by ploughing. Michael Meacher, however, has yet to act to stop the destruction of Offham Marshes SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) in East Sussex.

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The hypocritical decision to go ahead with the Cardiff Bay Barrage which will destroy a SSSI and break European environmental law, despite the condemnation of the scheme by all three Labour Welsh Office Ministers while in opposition. In a pre-election letter to Cardiff Friends of the Earth it was stated by Ron Davies MP, now Welsh Secretary, that"The case for the Barrage was never proved to my satisfaction and there were overwhelming environmental grounds for rejecting it". Mr Davies also said, "..they [the Conservative Government] have presided over the wholesale destruction of [wildlife] sites which have been designated. We have seen them wriggle dishonestly and illegally out of their international obligations under the EC directive." [6].

Tony Juniper, Campaigns Director at Friends of the Earth, said:

"We are at the point where disappointment is turning to scepticism. Since being in office, Minsters have made several very good speeches on issues ranging from global warming to water conservation and have made one or two welcome decisions, like scrapping the Salisbury Bypass. But when push comes to shove,short term economic growth and pandering to the business lobby are the real priorities and the Government is prepared to sacrifice the environment for them.If this Government wishes to maintain some green credibility, it needs to exercise its power and match what it says it stands for with what it decides to actually do."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

[1] Labour Manifesto 1997.

[2] In Trust for Tomorrow, Report of the Labour Party Policy Commission on the Environment, Labour Party 1994

[3] Quoted in The Birmingham Post, 31 July 1997

[4] Frank Dobson. "Labour would not build the BNRR" (News Release. 21/9/94).
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[5] Mr Meacher has delayed making a decision to save Offham Marshes SSSI by arranging for a 40 day delay in plans by a local farmer to plough it. The delay is apparently due to a desire for further survey work to be conducted on the site. On Sunday 10 August at 2pm Friends of the Earth and local people will be holding a picnic protest at the site next to Offham village near Lewes in East Sussex (a press release is available from FOE press office).

[6] Hansard, 20 October 1992.

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