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Greens to attack Labour's 'lies' Greens 'more relevant than ever'
(about 16 hours later)
Green Party leader Caroline Lucas is to accuse the government of lying over claims that its policies will help preserve the environment. Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has said its policies and values are "needed more than ever" during the economic downturn.
Opening her party's spring conference later, she will attack Gordon Brown for backing coal and nuclear energy. Ms Lucas told her party's spring conference that environmental concerns could not be discarded as a "luxury" because of the recession.
She will also say the government has "betrayed" the environment by not "taking the lead". Instead, investment in green industries could create thousands of new jobs.
People are confused by advice on the "greatest threat this country faces", she will tell delegates in Blackpool. The government had "betrayed" the environment by not "taking the lead" on the issue, she told party members.
Ms Lucas will say the prime minister is "planning a huge expansion of both nuclear and coal". 'Genuine alternative'
'Done nothing' The Greens offered a "genuine alternative" to other parties at Westminster, Ms Lucas told activists in Blackpool.
These create fewer jobs than renewable energy sources, meaning they have no "useful role in tackling the recession", she will argue. Unlike them, the Greens had predicted the "cocktail" of "irresponsible" policies which she said had caused the recession.
Climate change is "the greatest threat to humanity", Ms Lucas will add, saying: "They say it's up to us - do your bit, act on CO2, we're in it together. Suggestions that the UK could not afford to meet its environmental objectives in full or should modify its outlook because of harder economic times was "bogus".
"No wonder people are confused. The greatest threat this country faces - up there with international terrorism, the rise of Fascism in the 1930s. What if William Wilberforce had said 'Yes, we know slavery is wrong but we have to think of the economy'? Caroline Lucas We know in hard times we are needed even more Caroline Lucas, Green Party leader
"And the government is telling us to change our light bulbs and turn our washing down to 30 degrees." "There are people who peddle the line that during a recession, green issues must take second place," she said.
Ministers must "take the lead", she will say. "As if the environment or social justice was a luxury that could be given up like that expensive cappuccino on the way to work.
Ms Lucas will add: "What if William Wilberforce had said 'Yes, we know slavery is wrong but we have to think of the economy. So could you just cut down a bit? Own one slave instead of two?' "We know in hard times we are needed even more. Let's be clear. The Green Party is needed more than ever."
"When Neville Chamberlain returned from Munich and waved that scrap of paper promising peace in our time, at least he believed it. Labour had lied to the public over claims that its policies would help preserve the environment, she said.
"Fool that he was, he honestly thought that he had reached a deal with Adolf Hitler. What excuse do our current leaders have? The government's support for new coal and energy plants and its backing for a new runway at Heathrow airport showed these promises to be hollow, she continued.
"Labour have had nearly 12 years in power. And they have done nothing." On the other hand, her party was proposing a genuine "green new deal" to put environmental industries at the heart of the economic recovery.
"For years we gave been pointing out the benefits to society that would come with a sustained investment in green measures like renewable energy and energy efficiency," she said.
A programme of domestic energy saving could create up to 140,000 jobs alone, she added.
Ms Lucas has been leader of the Green Party since last year, when it ended its policy of having two joint conveners.Ms Lucas has been leader of the Green Party since last year, when it ended its policy of having two joint conveners.