The EU was on the point of ruling that the fines from VW and any other culprits in the diesel scandal should go directly to local communities, the London Green Party revealed yesterday.
But it fell at the last hurdle following a Conservative wrecking tactic supported by the group on which British Tory MEPs sit.
“This has scuppered a great idea,” said Sian Berry, the Green Party candidate for Mayor of London. “Car makers who have lied to us and not cleaned up their cars should be made to pay for the buses, walking and bike infrastructure, trams and trains we need to reduce traffic and get people off the car dependence that leads them to buy cars in the first place. That would be real justice for this criminal fraud. Air pollution causes huge numbers of premature deaths every year, including nearly 10,000 Londoners.”
The plan was designed to boost low-emission alternatives such as walking or cycling in the areas worst affected by toxic diesel emissions. It was originally proposed by Berry in an emergency motion at Green Party conference in September. It was then relayed to the EU by Green energy spokesman Andrew Cooper, who is one of the 24 UK members of the European Committee of the Regions.
There was widespread agreement for the proposal until it was knocked on the head by the European People’s Party (EPP) group. This wrecking action was supported in turn by the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), on which the UK Tories sit.
“I was very happy to get an emergency motion passed at Green Party conference supporting my call for car-makers who have cheated emissions tests to be made to pay for alternatives to cars,” said Berry yesterday.
“The European Union was on the point of approving this proposal because it was a no-brainer. But thanks to these wrecking tactics, millions of ordinary people are not going to see the benefits of this cash. The Conservatives, including the party’s candidate for Mayor of London, need to explain why the reparations will not now benefit the people who were worst affected by the cheating car-makers’ behaviour.”