Wednesday, December 02, 2009

The greenie's not for turning

The Independent is telling us that the Boy Cameron is facing "a growing challenge to his authority from senior members of his own party who say they have doubts about the Conservatives' stance on global warming."

Leading figures including Peter Lilley, the former cabinet minister, Andrew Tyrie and Ann Widdecombe are openly questioning the political consensus on climate change.

David Davis is also warning that the policy of tough targets to cut carbon emissions, supported by the Boy, is "destined to collapse". He criticises "the fixation of the green movement with setting ever tougher targets, in the face of failure to meet earlier promises".

He adds: "The ferocious determination to impose hair-shirt policies on the public – taxes on holiday flights, or covering our beautiful countryside with wind turbines that look like props from War of the Worlds – is bound to cause a reaction in any democratic country."

Needless to say, Greg Clark, the shadow energy and climate change Secretary, denies that the supposi-Tories are split, insisting the party's sceptics hold "a minority view". He sees no evidence that their numbers are growing. "On policy, there is an increasingly strong consensus on what needs to be done," he adds.

Cameron's aides deny that the Tory leader would have to water down his "strong personal commitment to green issues," saying that would drive the party's policy. They said all parties had climate change sceptics in their ranks.

So there you are. Never mind about "Climategate". The greenie's not for turning.

CLIMATEGATE THREAD