"The Tories are the party of lower taxers or they are nothing"

What is it with David Cameron? He is obsessed with taxation and the environment. Or is it he is obsessed with taxation and excuses for raising taxes whilst sounding like a kind and caring new Tory? Forget the comparisons with Tony Blair, Cameron is the new Gordon Brown (though slightly less dour) - or at least his old pal George Osborne is. The latest value (not policy) is to issue passengers with a 'green miles' allowance and forced to pay more if they took extra flights. They know full well that those who fly more than once a year are either going to pay for the second holiday regardless or are flying not because they have some vendetta against the planet but because it's business. They have no choice - just how Cameron, Osborne and Brown like it.

Another thing the Tories have learnt is making such ill thought out and unhelpful schemes sound so inviting and nice - '-pay as you burn, rather than as you earn-' - '-we are prepared to make the tough choices that we think we need to make to tackle rising carbon emissions-'. Tough for who, exactly? They sound just like New Labour did all those years ago. It's un-nerving. Of course, this has started a bidding war between the parties in a playground style effort to effectively say "we're more green than you!" In summary, Peter Hain proposes a ban on standby buttons on TVs and other electrical appliances, Vince Cable (Lid Dems) insists his party's idea of taxing aircraft, especially dirty ones, not passengers, would work better; and Mr Brown will today demand to the Green Alliance a "-new world order-" that can address the need for urgent cuts in carbon emissions - thus proving that New Labour are still the best at meaningless rhetoric. We expect this whole stealth tax thing of Labour, but of the Tories? Guido Fawkes puts it best - "-It appeals to their vanity "to do something", gives them an excuse to hike taxes and the public pays the bill. The Tories are the party of lower taxers or they are nothing.-"