David Levy – The reason people have a poor opinion of our fraudulent politics – Sep 17
Twenty odd years ago I was writing almost weekly in a Wiltshire county-wide newspaper about the effect of particulates on the health of those people exposed to emissions. To recap, Lafarge/Blue Circle Cement wanted to burn solvents and tyres to replace a percentage of coal as a fuel in their cement kilns in Westbury Wiltshire.
It was a battle to change the will of the industry, even though the scientific evidence was overwhelming about how the effects would be experienced by the downwind populations.
What became very clear also was that busy high streets with lorry movements exposed our lungs to dangerous ultra-fine particles from diesel. The Government knew this, but they saw a financial gain if more diesel cars could be made and increased tax revenue from diesel could be obtained. The price hike in the sale price of diesel saw increases by three times.
This means the government was quite prepared to allow the death of thousands of people just so they could get more money in the Exchequer.
Callous, and economically the right thing to do. I wonder what they would say to the families that they deliberately sacrificed. No accountability.
Some twenty years later we are being held to account over our diesel cars and high levels of pollution. Again we have known that we would be held to account by Europe law, but after Brexit the Government can take their time.
A scrappage scheme perhaps for our diesel cars which they promoted to us to buy. Maybe, but meantime more will die.
It’s no wonder some have such a poor opinion of our fraudulent politics.
David Levy
