Conservatives chastise cynical ‘green’ road tax

Government figures obtained by the Conservatives reveal that the treasury’s new ‘green levy’ on road tax is expected to reduce vehicle emissions by less than 1%.

The environmental benefits of the new tax system – introduced by newly appointed chancellor Alistair Darling – are now being called into question.

It has also been revealed that the Government is set to profit by an extra £1.9 billion per year from the new tax, increasing the total income from Vehicle Excise Duty to £4.4 billion.

The new system places a higher tax burden on the biggest polluting vehicles, whilst reducing tax for the more environmentally friendly road users. It also means that new car buyers will be charged a “showroom tax” for their first year of ownership.

However, those who can afford large cars are unlikely to buy a different vehicle because of a few hundred pounds of extra road tax, whilst current car owners are unlikely to want to go through the hassle of changing their car.

Since the release of the government figures, critics are left wondering if the new taxes are merely a cynical exploitation of the green movement by the Government to make profit and win votes.

A Conservative spokesperson has denounced the new system as an “eco stealth tax of the worst kind.”