The fight for the "Big Bang" extensions to the highly successful Greater Manchester Metrolink scheme should be stepped up now across Greater Manchester, the North West and beyond, if public transport is to start to make a big impact in tackling climate change, according to Chris Huhne MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment.
Speaking at the National Conference of the Green Liberal Democrats at Trafford Town Hall, Chris added:
"The great 'Get Back on Track' Metrolink campaign must now reach fever pitch and succeed if we are to stop the effects of climate change escalating in the North West and across the country."
The Green Liberal Democrats are one of the largest campaigning groups within the Liberal Democrats. Their National Conference in Trafford, this weekend (17-18th June 2006), will drive forward the party's cutting edge environmental policies launched as part of their 'Green Switch' campaign to encourage positive steps towards more sustainable lifestyles in part through environmental taxation measures.
A Friends of the Earth on-line poll recently put the Liberal Democrats far ahead of the other main parties in caring about climate change. Asked '"which of the three main parties cares most about climate change?" nearly 83 per cent of respondents named the Liberal Democrats. This follows a poll by ICM which found that the Liberal Democrats were thought to be the party which would do most to protect the environment.
Councillor Adam Carew, who chairs the Green Lib Dems nationally, says:
"The Green Liberal Democrats are delighted to be holding our annual conference in Greater Manchester this year. During this conference we will be discussing a variety of urgent environmental issues from Climate Change and Wildlife Biodiversity to public transport. Climate Change is the biggest threat facing this planet today and we need urgent action. We are working with Lib Dem environment spokesperson Chris Huhne and other Liberal Democrats to provide a radical green agenda for the 21st century."
Chris Huhne, who travelled from Manchester City Centre to the Conference by Metrolink added:
"At the moment the amount pledged by the Government is not enough to start work on any of the extensions to the Metrolink system. The three 'Big Bang' extensions to Oldham/Rochdale, to South Manchester and to Tameside and the East of Greater Manchester, have been promised repeatedly by Labour Ministers, from the Prime Minister down, since 1997 but the promise has not been fulfilled. The Government pledged to make an announcement on a funding package before the Local Elections this year, when that was put off we were told a statement would be made straight after the local elections and yet now all we have is a deafening silence."
Chris says:
"Liberal Democrats have long said that extending Metrolink should be the top call on the Transport Innovation Fund set up last year. Metrolink has a proven track record from the day it opened as a popular, well-used public transport system - it now carries over 19 million passengers a year and is estimated to take 3 to 4 million car journeys off the road annually - it is precisely the sort of environmental success story that we desperately need to see pushed forward . I am calling, with my four Liberal Democrat MP colleagues in Greater Manchester, for the Government to honour the Prime Minister's pledge to the Metrolink extensions as a top environmental priority now, before the Summer break, with the announcement of a funding package to allow work to start this year on the extensions."
John Leech MP, the Liberal Democrat MP for Manchester Withington, who also spoke at the Green Liberal Democrat Conference added:
"Metrolink works. It reduces the number of journeys made by private car and that helps in the fight against climate change. It isn't good enough for Labour Ministers to stall without explanation on making a decision to expand the Metrolink system. I urge people across the North West to put the 'Get Back to Track' campaign back at the top of the political agenda - a bigger and better Metrolink system will improve the environment for all of us!"
ENDS
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