News

July 09, 2008

Government Advised To Tax Farm Animals On Gaseous Emissions

By Charles Wyatt

Most of the world’s leaders swallowed the pill of climate change a couple of years ago in the hope of more, and bigger stealth taxes. Now they are suffering from acute indigestion as fuel and food prices rocket around the world. It is very easy for people to associate themselves with “the good and the green” when prosperity reigns, but now times are far from good and the banking and property sectors are in turmoil.

Many in the real world, rather than the political world, reckon it is going to get worse and suggest that at least one major bank may go the wall. Ripples from this will be felt by everyone with job losses accelerating throughout commerce and industry and every extra pound spent on food and fuel will be that much more painful.

It is therefore a classic bit of political mistiming for  the UK Cabinet Office Strategy Unit to produce a report entitled Food Matters. Cutting...