CC Flight taxation hurts all but the elite...

Has the political establishment in the UK taken the wrong gamble over their climate change consensus? Has the Stern report that was supposed to convince all Britons of the dire straight fallen on deaf ears? Or is it just that Britons are wise to the cynical ways of politicians, especially those in government.

You could argue that Richmond Council, a Liberal Democrat controlled area of London, jumped the political gun by announcing their draconian new regulations for parking in their area. Their sliding scale for parking permits charge vehicles that they deem superfluous up to 4 times the normal rate for parking. The only cars that get a discount are those that are totally environmental friendly. A normal sized family saloon is going to cost denizens of the borough twice as much.

This week we learned about the Stern report into Climate Change which paints a extremely pessimistic view of the world of the future. Politicians in the UK were lining up to claim that their party was the greener than each other before waiting for the public backlash.

It seems politicians, those pampered professionals with their high salaries and free junkets round the world want everyone else to pay more for their daily behaviour. They wish to see flying cost far more for everyone and wish to see us all pay far more for the cost of running out cars. These so-called “green taxes” are supposed to change our actions and make us all be more aware of our contribution to global warming. Every program was filled with politicians and environmentalists trying to convince viewers that there was no place not part of the consensus.

Rather than take the consensus in stride the public has reacted with cynicism and angst. Over 60% of those polled by the Daily Politics show thought that this is yet another excuse for the government to raise even more taxes from them. Many commenters both online and to various Political programs expressed their distaste with politicians lecturing them on how to live their lives when none of these self-same politicians are explaining how they are going to be making an effort to sacrifice.

Once the furore had died down and other experts were allowed to examine the document the cracks in the report began to arise. No amount of trashing by the environmental lobby was able to deafen those wishing to call into question the government funded report. It became clear that the report was making assumptions and painting the absolute worst scenario possible using dubious science and even worse economics. Bjorn Lomborg, Tim Worstall and others.

What is most amusing, of course, is the shock and horror that the public’s reaction to the report is causing in the establishment and mainstream media. They cannot understand despite the consensus between three major parties and the constant badgering of the truth that the general public does not see things their way. The great and good did not see the major flaw in their organised campaign of badgering. The forgot that modern Britons, of whatever class, believe it is their inalienable right to go abroad for their holidays every year. They are willing to tolerate high taxation, lousy NHS, transport and school but take away their freedom to leave this rain-shrouded isle to invoke their ire. This miscalculation clearly demonstrates how out of touch the establishment is with the average British citizen. They have forgotten a key element in the British psyche…a sense of fair play and natural justice.