COMMENT: Reds not Green but Yellow (Lambeth Liberal Democrats)

Lambeth Liberal Democrats <office@lambethlibdems.org.uk>

COMMENT: Reds not Green but Yellow

October 7, 2009 12:08 PM

Incinerator Lambeth Labour's already flaky green credentials have taken another battering with news that they are secretly planning to scrap recycling in order to introduce incineration.

And Labour being Labour, they are consulting with the public about a future waste strategy with no mention about incineration even being an option, while sneakily telling councillors by email that incineration is being actively considered.

Doesn't this sound a lot like the ALMO that they kept quiet about until after an election? Doesn't this sound like their plans to sell-off public assets like leisure centres and libraries, with the detail hidden away in a huge 350 page killer appendix?

Secretive Lambeth Labour works on the iceberg principle - only the tip shows above the water but their real danger lies hidden below the highly polished public face.

In Lambeth's free propaganda sheet 'Lambeth Life' in an innocuous article headed 'The Future of Waste - Have Your Say' residents are asked:

"What should Lambeth be recycling? Should we have separate food waste and garden waste collections? What recycling rates should we be aiming for? How much do you think you could recycle?" We want to hear your views on the future of recycling and rubbish collections in Lambeth. The Council is devising a new waste strategy for the next 20 years and this is your chance to get involved and be part of the decisions affecting your waste services."

No mention of incineration of course.

Yet in an email to councillors the choice and the language are a lot less fluffy. The email says,

"The key issue will be whether Lambeth should aim to meet the national and EU recycling target of 50% by 2020 or aim for a minimal recycling, high incineration policy which could deliver the equivalent environmental benefits."

Labour needs to come clean over the future of our environment. Liberal Democrats raised recycling in Lambeth from Labour's dismal 8% up to 24% using the popular orange sack system in under four years.

Yet Labour has allowed this significant progress to stagnate and as they enter their final six months in charge of the Town Hall they've barely raised recycling above 25%.

Worse they are now looking for an easy way out behind the scenes while still promoting a green caring face to the public.

The danger is that all the hard work to promote a successful recycling culture in Lambeth will just go up in smoke if left to Labour.