Posts Tagged Chris Huhne
North Eastern industry to be decimated – and for what?
Posted by David Merlin-Jones in Announcements, Economics, Environment, Politics, Tax and Spend on 02/06/2011
The government’s green taxes will spell the end for Britain’s chemical industry, which employs 200,000 directly, an additional 400,000 indirectly, and accounts for 15% of UK exports. The sector, much of which is found in North East England, will be the victim of the race to cut emissions by 34% from 1990 levels by 2020: more than any other country’s target. Moreover, this approach by the ‘greenest government ever’, will actually undermine the UK’s ability to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and will smother the emerging low-carbon economy at birth.
Chain Reactions, published by independent think-tank Civitas, draws on the example of the economically vital but energy-intensive chemical industry because, while it is disproportionately affected by energy bills, it also produces a myriad of environmentally-beneficial products such as catalysts and insulation. David Merlin-Jones, author of Chain Reactions, argues that the best way to tackle climate-change is not through the hasty decimation of industry but the long-term nurturing of existing low-carbon innovation as found in the chemical sector.
“Should I Stay or Should I Go”
Posted by Stephen Clarke in Politics on 26/04/2011
This weekend Chris Huhne voiced serious criticisms of the Chancellor and the Conservative party in light of the ‘No to AV’ campaign’s recent claims about the cost and benefit for radical parties of the AV electoral system. Perhaps most significant could be the fact that he ‘refused to rule out resigning as energy secretary over the tensions’. Huhne’s outburst came on the same day that the Independent on Sunday ran an interview with Nick Clegg where the Deputy Prime Minister in effect described the Tories, as opponents of AV, as a ‘nasty right wing clique’. Although political rhetoric can be misleading, the coalition government seems to be on the verge of splitting at the seams.
