UK NEWS

SPIN TO SOFTEN US FOR BIN TAX

MP Pickles says there is evidence of conspiracy

Sunday May 18,2008

By Brendan Abbott

LABOUR is secretly drawing up a propaganda campaign to persuade Britons of the benefits of a bin tax.

A European manual studied by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs reveals how countries including Germany have used “bin spin” to overcome resistance to the ‘pay-as-you-throw’ tax.

But behind the PR campaign, Labour is considering fines of up to £400 to force householders into accepting the charge.

The ‘how to’ guide includes proposals for youthful bin-tax advisers to visit homes taking giveaway pens, badges and T-shirts bearing a bin-tax logo and slogan.

The manual suggests cartoon strips as a way to get the message across, and proposes a media blitz with leaflet drops and newspaper ads.

It features a poster of a smiling child alongside information promoting the benefits of “protection of the environment and preservation of resources by reducing waste”.

“PR will be needed to educate citizens,” the manual declares.

But it suggests hiring rubbish police to rifle through dumped bags to identify people fly-tipping – a practice it says will rise as a result of the tax. It cites an army of snoopers hired in the German town of Brixen.

And it says that in the “disciplining of citizens” fines of up to £400 should be imposed on those not following the rules.

The handbook explains how every bin and family will be given an identification code to be scanned by equipment on rubbish trucks.

Eric Pickles, Shadow Local Government Secretary, said: “There is clear evidence that the European Union is conspiring with Labour Ministers in Whitehall to impose punishing new taxes on family homes.”

Families could be forced to pay up to £1,000 a year when bin taxes are introduced. Ministers are going ahead with pilot projects despite the Prime Minister’s hints it would be scrapped.