The Green Tax Switch

Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell MP has unveiled plans to protect and improve our environment with a major "green tax switch".

The party wants to cut income tax for everyone, and take millions of the least well off out of income tax altogether, whilst instead taxing pollution more heavily.

"We are the only major party which takes the environment seriously and that does mean that environmental taxes will rise, but we will also cut income tax by 2p in the pound and take around three million people out of income tax completely. This will be good news not just for our environment but for everyone who will benefit from income tax cuts," said Ming Campbell.

Simon Archer and Hazel Laming recycling plastic bottles

Here in Welwyn Hatfield we take the environment seriously. The Libdems have held collections for plastics recycling in Welwyn Garden City for years, even when the Tories refused to provide facilities in our district. Following pressure from the Libdems and others they finally buckled and have now provided collection facilities for recycling plastics in the area. Here you can see Simon Archer and Hazel Laming recycling plastic bottles in the new facility in Hatfield.

Says Councillor Nigel Quinton:

"My view is that the borough council still has to learn to engage with the debate over recycling. Currently we only recycle 28% of our domestic waste - half of which is garden waste, so as a percentage of normal domestic waste the number is very low indeed.

"In contrast, councils elsewhere are able to achieve figures in excess of 50%."

Eastleigh in Hampshire has a good reputation for its recycling schemes. They provide residents with two bins, one for recyclable and one for non-recyclable waste, with larger bins for larger households. They also operate a brown bin garden waste service and a glass collection service and a host of other schemes to encourage recycling. So why can't more be done here?

See what Eastleigh offers to collect from its residents.

And what Bristol is doing...

LibDems make breakthrough on climate change action

Nottingham Declaration - about climate change.

Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet. It needs action at international, national and local level. Councils can sign the Nottingham Declaration (named after Nottingham council who started the scheme 5 years ago). It commits the council not only to take action over its own behaviour, but to take a lead in its community in reducing the carbon emissions of the area. Over 130 councils in England have signed up.

LibDems have been at the forefront - and all 3 LibDem councils in Herts - Watford, St Albans and Three Rivers - have signed up.

Liberal Democrat councillors Nigel Quinton and Malcolm Cowan asked Welwyn Hatfield and Herts County Council to sign up, and they have both agreed.

'Now we aim to complete the map by getting our local councillors in the other districts to ask all the remaining councils to sign up' said Malcolm. It is a pity it has taken 5 years to get this far - we must press ahead.

Your shout on Climate Change

Climate change forum.