LIB DEMS ISSUE ENVIRONMENT CHALLENGE

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 1st Sep 2004

Totnes Liberal Democrats have issued an environment challenge to local MP Anthony Steen

Totnes Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesperson Mike Treleaven has written to Mr Steen, the constituency's MP, urging him to sign up to a 10 point Liberal Democrat challenge to show his commitment to the environment.

Mike Treleaven said:

"The public will not be fooled by a once-a-year speech from a party leader when his party's record on the environment is so poor. Global warming, pollution and threats to wildlife are problems that are worsening daily and cannot be tackled with empty rhetoric.

"Only the Liberal Democrats have a serious year round approach to the environment. We have consistently uncovered the Government's environmental failures and we are the only major party putting forward genuine green alternatives, as Friends of the Earth recognised at the last election.1

"Our 10 point plan would cut pollution, increase energy efficiency and help protect the global environment from climate change. I challenge Anthony Steen to either sign up to it or to set out an equally radical alternative agenda for the environment."

1 During the 2001 general election campaign Friends of the Earth carried out an independent analysis of the parties' policies on the environment, concluding: "the Liberal Democrats have easily the strongest green commitments of the three major parties, scoring consistently highly in most areas and come a very close second to the Green Party itself". The parties were rated out of 50, with Labour on 23, Conservatives on 6.5, Liberal Democrats on 37.5 and Greens on 42.