Green Party

In advance of Alistair Darling's 2010 budget proposals, the Green Party wants to see three key provisions in his budget:

• a non-means-tested state pension, set at £170 a week (1)
• a nationwide programme to insulate homes which would create 350 000 training placements over the next year (2)
• end the zero-rating of VAT on new dwellings, putting them on a level with conversions and renovations of existing dwellings, raising £5bn in 2010 and £7.5bn by 2013

The Green Party welcomes Labour's adoption of a long-standing Green policy idea, the idea of a People's Bank. The Green Party would provide initial funding of £2.5 billion over the next Parliament to assist communities in setting up such a network.

The Green Party's deputy leader, Adrian Ramsay, who is General Election candidate for Norwich South, said:

"Our manifesto, to be released just after the call of the general election, is a practical and realistic plan to move towards a more equal society, fight climate change and protect public services."

"Unlike the other parties, we will argue that increases in taxation for the better-off are required. We will raise taxes fairly and explain them honestly. Labour’s plans depend upon wishful thinking about how quickly the economy and tax revenues will recover. They are unwilling to tell you about the cuts and tax increases coming later. The Conservatives will cut public spending, but have not put forward a plan that adds up to remotely enough cuts without tax increases to cut the deficit."

"In contrast, the Green Party will be open about what we would cut, what we would defend, and about the fact that we need to raise taxation from 36% of GDP in 2009-10 to around 45% in 2013. This would halve the gap between government expenditure and revenues by 2013-14 (as the Labour government proposes) and progressively close the gap thereafter."

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