The Green Tax switch

2.21.31pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 8th Jun 2006

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.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Northampton North, Andrew Simpson said: "The Liberal Democrats have won praise from Greenpeace and WWF for being the only party to grasp the need for urgent action to tackle climate change. Our radical policies on the environment prove we are not afraid to show leadership on such an important issue."

You can read Menzies Campbell's speech in full and watch a video interview with him at http://www.libdems.org.uk/menzies-campbell-speech.html