Brown’s green Chelsea tractor tax

22nd March 2006

Gordon Brown has just announced a new green tax on gas guzzling vehicles in today’s budget. As for those who desire cleaner cars, they will be rewarded with lower Road Tax (VED). Cars with the lowest rate of emissions will pay no vehicle excise duty but the 1% of most polluting cars will pay £210 a year.

Emily is a member of the Environment Select Committee, which recently called for this. She welcomed the change as a step in the right direction.

Emily said:

‘I welcome these changes. It rewards those who pollute less. At the moment 1/7 cars in London are 4 wheel drive, we don’t want to end up like the US where it’s 1/4. It’s simply not sustainable. No matter how bad the road humps are, Islington residents really don’t need 4 wheel drive to get to Sainsbury’s.’

The Environment Select Committee Report said:

‘The Government should increase the differentials within Vehicle Excise Duty between the most and least efficient cars, and create a special new band at the top of the spectrum for the worst "gas-guzzlers’.

Editors’ Notes:

Environment Select Committee Report:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmenvaud/882/88202.htm

Guardian report about one in seven new cars in London being SUVs: http://www.guardian.co.uk/wheels/story/0,,1265530,00.html

New Scientist on new US SUVs http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn3462.