80% of us want polluters to pay up
Another example where Half Pint Nige is out of touch with the people.
A new survey by environmental group Zero Hour shows that 80% of people want polluters to pay up to fix the problems they have caused and to support other public services which are believed to be under-funded by the government.
Amy McDonnell of Zero Hour said:
These findings show the government must urgently get to grips with the cost-of-living crisis, alongside taking bold action to hold the nation’s big polluting companies to account while setting out clear plans for a fair transition to net zero.
We know we cannot address both our economic and environmental challenges in isolation. We need more investment into our crumbling public services alongside the rapid development of cleaner energy infrastructure to lower bills, alongside strong safeguards to protect nature.
Reform voters are often unfairly characterised as not caring about social and environmental causes, but they too feel broadly the same. Another recent survey from Global Witness shows that:
The majority of people who would vote Reform tomorrow agree that oil and gas companies are responsible for repairing the damage caused by climate heating in the UK
71% of Reform-leaning voters support higher taxes on big polluters like oil and gas firms to fix the damage caused by global heating, such as from storms, flooding and drought
67% of Reform-leaning voters say they are worried about increasing damages caused by climate damage
This is just common sense given that Reform-leaning constituencies are among some of the most exposed to the climate impacts caused by the polluters. Here we see another example of Half Pint Nige not really being in touch with the people he claims to represent.
Given such huge numbers, it’s no surprise that a major campaign is underway called Make Them Pay, due to conclude at a rally in London on 20 September. The campaign hammers home three points:
Tax the super-rich: The NHS is crumbling, schools are underfunded, energy bills keep rising – and billionaires keep getting richer. But politicians are choosing to balance the books on the backs of the poorest people. It’s time to tax the super-rich and use this money to fund the services we all depend on.
Protect workers, not billionaires: The economy should work for the people who keep the country running, not corporations and billionaires. Our government must prioritise creating decent, reliable jobs for everyone in every community, and supporting the renewable industries of the future, rather than preserving extreme wealth for a few at the top.
Make polluters pay: Half the world’s emissions come from a handful of fossil fuel companies. These companies have known about the danger they’re putting us all in for decades. The people who have made trillions knowingly destroying nature, and putting our futures at risk, must foot the bill for cleaning up the mess they’ve created.
But that leaves a final question. Let’s say this campaign gets some traction and Sir Keir feels compelled to do something about it. Do you really think he—or Half Pint Nige or whoever it is running the Conservatives these days—is going to tax the polluters that hard? Do you really think that whatever money is clawed back from the polluters will be spent wisely? In short, do you really think that any of the corrupt politicians currently competing for your vote are going to do the right thing to make your life better?
Didn’t think so: we need to get rid of all these polluting scammers and replace them with people with integrity who will deliver Our Fair Future.