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DARLING ACCUSED OF GREEN COP OUT IN BUDGET

Darling was accused of bottling it on green issues

Wednesday March 12,2008

By Julia White for express.co.uk

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ALISTAIR DARLING was today accused of not doing enough to protect the environment by Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg.

In his first Budget the Chancellor announced that his greatest obligation was tackling climate change.

But he then postponed the 2p fuel tax increase by six months for fear of upsetting motorists.

In what had been billed as the 'green Budget' Darling failed to introduce any measures to encourage people to use their car less.

And despite introducing increased tax on flights, he controversially also gave backing to the expansion of Heathrow and Standsted airports.

Nick Clegg today accused the Government of bottling out of real changes that would help the environment.

He said: "This budget is a green cop out. It is designed to fill a black hole."

And environmentalists claimed the Chancellor has fallen a long way short of his promise to put the environment at the heart of the Budget.

Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said: "Suspending the promised increase in fuel duty has fatally undermined his boast that this is a green budget, and tinkering with tax on planes and cars isn’t going to reduce emissions when he’s also promising new runways and roads."

"The Chancellor should have channelled cash into clean technologies, energy efficiency projects and support for the renewables industry. On all these counts, his measures have failed to match the scale of the challenge we face."

“Increasing the revenue from flight taxes is hypocritical posturing from a Chancellor who wants to see Heathrow and Stansted almost double in size.

Friends of the Earth director Tony Juniper said: "Another freeze in fuel duty will further undermine the Government's already weak green credentials.

"Mr Darling should have used this Budget to tackle climate change by making it cheaper and easier for people to go green.

Darling's token green gestures included a charge on plastic bags, a 'showroom tax' for gas guzzling 4x4 buyers and no first year road tax for the environmentally cleanest cars.

But environmentalists were adamant today that this wasn't enough.

Greenpeace chief policy advisor Benet Northcote said: "The Chancellor is right to bash gas guzzlers but it means little while he’s also ploughing billions into motorway widening schemes to make room for more cars.”

****** READ ALL THE BUDGET REACTION AND ANALYSIS AT EXPRESS.CO.UK/MONEY *******

MORE LIVE BUDGET 2008 COVERAGE ON EXPRESS.CO.UK ...

* VIDEO: WATCH THE BUDGET NOW...
* THE BUDGET IN PICTURES...
* THE FULL BUDGET STATEMENT...
* BUDGET 2008 HIGHLIGHTS...
* WHAT THE BUDGET MEANS FOR YOU...
* HAVE YOUR SAY ON THE BUDGET...
* TORY RESPONSE...
* LIB DEM RESPONSE...
* DARLING ACCUSED OF GREEN-COP-OUT...
* GROWTH FORECASTS CUT...

*** READ ALL THE BUDGET REACTION AND ANALYSIS AT EXPRESS.CO.UK/MONEY ***