UK SHOULD DECIDE HOW IT TACKLES CLIMATE CHANGE - Letter (08/12/05)

Many of us are rightly concerned about the impact of climate change. It is an issue that must be faced up to and action taken to address it. But it is important that, whatever actions are taken, they are decided upon by our democratically chosen representatives - they must represent our views. So it will interest your readers to note that the Liberal Democrats recently voted to remove some of this power from Westminster and hand it to Brussels. This would be bad enough, but their actions are all the more lamentable since they relate to taxes.

In mid-November they backed a resolution in the European Parliament which calls for the EU, not individual countries, to decide what eco-taxes are introduced and how much each Member State should pay.

At a time when many in Europe have firmly expressed their disapproval of the direction of the EU, it is simply staggering that the Liberal Democrats could ignore their views and press on regardless with their European love-affair. The UK should decide how it tackles climate change. If eco-taxes form part of that solution, then the UK should decide what level of taxes to implement, not the EU.

Christopher Wolverson,

Leader of the Conservative Group, Somerset County Council