GMB: Ed Balls clashes with Jonathan Bartley over fuel duty cuts
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Good Morning Britain presenter Ed Balls entered into a heated debate with former co-leader of Green Party Johnathan Bartley. Bartley claimed that taxes should be used to help with tackling the climate change crisis, to which Balls clapped back and reminded him about the cost of living crisis.
Balls began: “We know we need big changes to tackle climate change in the next 30 years, changing the way that we use carbon, industry buildings and transport.
“But right now, we should be focusing on moving to electric vehicles, but in the meantime cutting the fuel duty to help people with the cost of living, isn’t that also fine?
“Tinkering the fuel duty, either way, makes no difference to climate change, but it makes a huge difference to bills.
“Why can’t we do things right now to help families whilst sticking on the long-term agenda?”
Bartley explained: “Well, we can do things right now, and I have suggested home insulation, I don’t think it is the right way to do it.”
Balls interrupted and questioned: “But it would help people…”
Bartley disagreed and claimed: “It doesn’t help people using the NHS because of the air pollution does it?”
Balls argued, however: “But doesn’t it really make a difference right now?” to which Susanna chimed in and added: “It helps care workers using their cars to help go and visit the people who need help.”
“We can’t sacrifice one group in the population in order to help another, what we need is decent public transport,” Bartley exclaimed.
“A few pence isn’t going to make a difference in the help that some families need,” he added, to which Balls replied: “Why would it make a difference climate change then?
“Why not scrap the road-building programme and give £1,200 or the equivalent to every family in the country…”
Before he could continue his point, Balls interjected: “The thing is, I was trying to be on your side.
“I wasn’t disagreeing with the idea that we shouldn’t do it, in the meantime, we should do things that we think would help right now.”
More to follow….
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