3/11/2007

Half baked aviation plans will alienate half the voters against Cameron

So the Tories have decided to prove their eco credentials by announcing a tax on air travel. The Conservative think this can be done, apparently, by raising tax on aviation fuel.

Strangely, they seem to miss the obvious point of air travel. If you raise fuel taxes in the UK the aircraft simply fill up with fuel overseas.

According to an opinion poll this morning, 58% of electors oppose any more tax rises on air transport and as Paul Walter reminds us, 57% of Tory delegates opposed these plans at their conference.

The answer, Mr Cameron, comes from having a real all encompassing policy on the environment. Not simply raising new taxes in one area as you propose, but like the "Green Tax Switch" that the Lib Dems are offering, you give people the chance to save taxes in other areas.

This half baked Tory plans looks to all intents and purposes to be a policy designed to raise tax incomes for the treasury, not one aimed at giving consumers choice.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

The problem is with Cameron that he cannot fully commit to anything because he knows his party is full of global warming denying capitalists who are so wedded to fossil fuels (and ironically dependency on foreign powers) that he cannot go the whole hog, which is why his policies are so "half baked", as you say.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the more interesting point is that not a single Tory has come forward to defend Cameron on this ? Where are you Tories ? Oh, they are in their cars on taking cheap flights. Make the most of it.

youdontknowme said...

This proposal would create more problems than it would solve. It's so stupid.

Nich Starling said...

Of course no Tory will support Cameron on this, it is plainly daft. A half cocked version of a policy that does nothing to be truly the friend of the environment and, as has been stated, it simply looks like a way of raising taxes.

Nich Starling said...

Still no Tories defending Dave then ?

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