Labour’s climate and energy secretary, Ed Miliband, has gone on the rampage and accused his political rivals of “ducking” difficult environmental issues.
Despite similar-sounding manifestos on the environment, recent clashes over nuclear power, expanded flying, windfarms and climate change scepticism have served to highlight the fact that the major parties have divergent views.
Miliband has challenged the Lib-Dems to explain how they would meet a pledge to cut electricity emissions without developing new nuclear power stations. The Lib-Dems claim their energy targets will be met by making homes and businesses more energy efficient.
Although Labour and the Conservatives agree on new nuclear power, Miliband has challenged the Tories to explain an insistence there will be no taxpayer subsidies for nuclear power, despite reports that nuclear reactors cannot be built and operated without pubic support.
Further, while the Government’s planned expansion of Heathrow Airport is opposed by the Conservatives, its an idea supported by at least one shadow cabinet member and London mayor, Boris Johnson. Furthermore, any opposition does not rule out increasing the use of smaller airports like Luton.
Miliband also attacked the record of Conservative councils in opposing windfarms. Conservative spokesman Greg Clark said this was because they had more councils in rural areas. The parties disagree on how to resolve the problem and it’s a debate that goes to the heart of a wider clash over whether the Government needs to intervene more to deliver environmental improvements.
Miliband heatedly claims that many Conservatives are climate change sceptics and implied that the Tory shadow culture secretary Jeremy Hunt was one after Hunt had responded to a question by saying, "There are climate sceptics in all parties.”
