Top Tory in one-in-a-big-car scandal

Yesterday's newspapers were full of stories about David Cameron's new Lexus Hybrid (see Sun clipping on right).  Today's newspapers report that Greg Barker, who travelled to Norway with the Tory leader, is being forced to sell his Porsche Boxster.  Chris Grayling has already sold his Land Rover.

Sunday newspapers once wanted to know if the Tory shadow cabinet used illegal drugs.  The chief whip once feared a newspaper discovering a Tory MP in bed with someone else's wife.  He now fears a Tory MP being discovered in the driving seat of a petrol-guzzling SUV.  Fleet Street's cameras are no longer trained on the bedrooms but on the gravel driveways.  Is that a Range Rover in Alan Duncan's parking lot?  Is IDS still driving a Morgan?  Do Devon's Tory MPs travel together up to Westminster or are they all using separate cars?

Mr Cameron's choice of the luxury Lexus hybrid car is already under fire from Labour.  The Conservative leader declined the offer of a Government car - the Toyota Prius - which emits CO2 at a rate of 104 grammes per kilometre.  CCHQ is apparently renting a £45,000 Lexus GS 450h, which pollutes at 186g/km.  A spokesman for Alistair Darling told The Sunday Telegraph: "Rather than take the Prius he has been offered, he has gone for leg room over the environment and a new luxury car with nearly twice the CO2 emissions."

This week's green initiatives by David Cameron, in particular, and Gordon Brown have led the Independent on Sunday's leader writers to conclude that the green giant has finally awoken.  Within the IoS Zac Goldsmith makes the case against nuclear power - arguing that energy efficiency "buys seven times more "solution" than a pound invested in nuclear".  In The Sunday Telegraph (which also contains a letter from scientists questioning the belief in man-made global warming) David Cameron promises to deliver major reductions in the pollution caused by cars by the adoption of clean technologies.  His article concludes:

"As our name implies, we are the natural party of conservation. We believe in enterprise and innovation, we have faith in markets, and we understand that Government doesn't have all the answers - that we have a shared responsibility to bring about positive change. These traditional Conservative values uniquely enable us to meet the great environmental challenges of the 21st century."

Comments

[John Hustings]

So we have unleashed the environmental equivalent of the back-to-basics scandals?

[buxtehude]

Let me just get that clear: DC turned down a free car from the government because he wanted a bigger one, paid by us poor idiots who fund-raise in the sticks?

Higher CO2 emmissions and more coffee mornings to keep Dave in greater comfort than that enjoyed by ministers?

I suppose the cost will seem like next-to-nothing compared to £276,000 a year for part-time consultant Steve Hilton (whose own CO2 emmissions, though small, are incredibly destructive to Conservatism).

I think if Dave would agree to cut Steve Hilton's salary to something like normal, I in turn would be prepared to keep up my little fundraising efforts to pay for his bigger car. But otherwise, not.

[Ted]

Perhaps Bux he needed a bigger car - the Prius isn't the greatest car to use on business.

Personally I'd have gone for a Chelsea tractor but either converted to LPG or bio-diesel (I'm sure he could have an arrangement with his constituency fish fryers and spent a few thousand on a biodiesel plant - http://www.greenfuels.co.uk/processing.htm)

Actualy the back to basics reference has merit - we'll need all our MPS to demonstrate their green credentials so maybe the party investing in a bio-diesel plant isn't so silly after all.

[Paul Kennedy]

A Prius is certainly not suitable for travelling around the country. From an environmental perspective CO2 emission is just one aspect, surely where it was built is another, transporting cars across the world has an environmental impact. That being the case I can't see why our senior politicians aren't supplied with the BRITISH built Jaguar XJ 2.7 diesel. It is economical, comfortable, supports British manufacturing, can run on bio diesel, reasonable price ( no doubt Jaguar would do a deal) and looks the part.

http://www.jaguar.co.uk/uk/en/vehicles/xj/overview/model_range.htm

[Ted]

Actually I'm quite taken by the thought of a Conservative Party owned Green Fuel producer - perhaps Green Chameleon plc?

Then our MP's and party vehicles could be UK produced diesel Jags, Range Rovers, Land Rovers etc. Shouldn't cost that much to set up - would be a commercial undertaking so electoral commission shouldn't worry.Perhaps for the Morgan drivers we could look at producing E85 bio-ethanol?

[buxtehude]

"he needed a bigger car"
"A Prius is certainly not suitable for travelling around the country"
Maybe so. But I'm sure he could have negotiated something more suitable with the government. They would not have wanted to play games with this - I don't exactly rate them high for decency and rectitude but I'm quite sure they wouldn't have been silly in the car that the a required to supply him with.
Personally, I don't care how big a car he wants. I agree with Ted that he should have a Range Rover, because you do need a lot of cabin space when you're on the road doing business, as his job requires.
But the 'back to basics' reference is completely relevant. He can't lecture others without now incurring the risk that every time he makes a choice that isn't green, he is a hypocrite, choosing one thing for himself and advocating something else for all the rest of us.

Just wait until the papers start to look at Zac Goldsmith's lifetsyle a little more closely...

[Chris]

Well, having been in a hybrid prius a few times, I can say there is nothing at all stately about them, and even I feel cramped in the back of one (I'm 5'4").Its good that he's gone for a hybrid, but I'msure he could have found a better midpoint between the prius and the lexus.

Does anyone know what Brown is being driven about in these days? And why haven't we fired back at Prescott yet?

[Ted]

Brown is still driven from Downing Street to Parliament in a non-hybrid (excuse is that it is still relatively new).
Can't wait to see the outriders, police vehicles etc surrounding the PM in his Prius though.

[Paul Kennedy]

"Can't wait to see the outriders, police vehicles etc surrounding the PM in his Prius though". Ted

Think you might be waiting a long time!!

[Andrew Woodman]

What cars does Darling drive I wonder?

[James Hellyer]

Within the IoS Zac Goldsmith makes the case against nuclear power - arguing that energy efficiency "buys seven times more "solution" than a pound invested in nuclear".

That's not a case against nuclear power. Britain does need a new generation of power stations, as our existing nuclear capacity is ageing, our coal plants are being closed, and gas is becoming increasingly unviable. They need replacing and nuclear is a good option to do so.

This doesn't preclude an energy efficiency drive though, as it's simply wasteful to produce unneeded power. It's a classic example of of "and".

[James Hellyer]

Most modern diesel engines aren't biodiesel compatible. It's also misleading to think that the fuel is environmentally friendly. It reduces dependency on oil, but still produces damaging emissions when burnt.

If Cameron wants to travel around the country, he can catch the train. If he wants to travel around London, a small hybrid or public transport would both fit the bill.

What would be hypocritical would be using a large four by four in an urban environment. They cause more wear and tear to roads, contribute more to congestion, and even in their diesel guises are hardly economical users of fuel.

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

"Mr Cameron's choice of the luxury Lexus hybrid car is already under fire from Labour."

What happened to the bicycle?

"Within the IoS Zac Goldsmith makes the case against nuclear power - arguing that energy efficiency "buys seven times more "solution" than a pound invested in nuclear"."

Absolutely - people can scoff all they like at suggestions about not overfilling kettles, but promoting energy conservation should definitely play a big part in a co-ordinated sustainable energy strategy. Localised energy generation should also help reduce the need for big power stations too.

[Editor]

I'm worried about the environmental impact of all these Tories selling perfectly useable motors and buying new ones. Is the environmental cost associated with increased construction of more Hybrids etc worth their efficiency gains? Shouldn't we wait until existing cars have finishing living useful lives?

[Frank Young]

David Cameron effectively closed this argument down this morning on Adam Boulton when he explained that on many occasions he is in his car with a number of other people and if he were to use a smaller car he would in all reality need to use two.

[James Hellyer]

I'm worried about the environmental impact of all these Tories selling perfectly useable motors and buying new ones. Is the environmental cost associated with increased construction of more Hybrids etc worth their efficiency gains? Shouldn't we wait until existing cars have finishing living useful lives?

I raised this point concerning Sir Menzies Campbell's Jaguar. Some 75% of the pollution associated with any one vehicle relates to it's construction and scrapping. It's therefore actually more environmentally friendly to keep an old car on the road than it is to buy a new hybrid. The difference, of course, is that hybrids are targetted as a positive by the government. The market distorting powers of Nanny State strike again...

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

Personally I agree with James's point - if David Cameron really wants to set an example for using environmentally friendly transportation, then he should maximise his use of public transport.

[James Hellyer]

on many occasions he is in his car with a number of other people and if he were to use a smaller car he would in all reality need to use two.

Does he actually need this entourage with him at all times, and can't he catch the train? Timetabled services are good enough for the Queen after all...

[James Hellyer]

Do Devon's Tory MPs travel together up to Westminster or are they all using separate cars?

They could all use the West Coast mainline. Then they might have a vested interest in stopping the sleeper services from being degraded.

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

"I raised this point concerning Sir Menzies Campbell's Jaguar. Some 75% of the pollution associated with any one vehicle relates to it's construction and scrapping. It's therefore actually more environmentally friendly to keep an old car on the road than it is to buy a new hybrid."

The trouble is, the Campbell Jaguar isn't being scrapped. It's 'up for sale' apparently - which means that the Liberal Democrat leader thinks it's fine for people to drive round in fuel-guzzling cars, as long as it's somebody else doing it. Personally, I don't think the car is 'up for sale' at all, but is merely being rested until Campbell is no longer LD leader.

[Ted]

James quite agree that MPs should use trains more regularly - in my experience on the Waterloo-Exeter line many do (including in the past Paddy Ashdown) but then again if you are taking family down to constituency/or up to London the lack of provision for luggage etc can mean a car is better choice.

Additionally for the really green MP the lack of bicycle spaces needs to be addressed.

Agree also on the underlying ungreeness of changing cars before time - DC was presumably being offered a replacement official car in line with guidelines so his decision to go for a larger hybrid doesn't fall under that. With lack of non-Toyota/Lexus models if he needs a bigger official car he hadn't much choice.

Problem is that an Environment spokesman saying "well my next car will be greener" doesn't cut it with press even if its a better thing to do in the bigger picture.

I bow to your knowledge on bio-diesel but my understanding was that while pure vegetable oil required conversion and is unsuitable in country that gets as cold as this one the process outlined in my post produced fuel that could be used in most diesels without much expensive mods. Bio ethanol or LPG are other alternatives that could be looked at as cleaner alternatives to a petrol car - a Saab eco model for example.

[James Hellyer]

On biodiesel:

"Many European-made diesel engines of the 1980s and 1990s - including most Volkswagen Group engines - were able to run on biodiesel, and even those not factory-ready could use it if fitted with appropriate synthetic rubbers for seals, fuel hoses and gaskets. However, manufacturers are now claiming that modern high-tech fuel injection technology - such as pumpe-duse, high-pressure direct injection or piezo-electric injection - is not compatible with 'neat' biodiesel, as the complex engines are specifically tuned for conventional fuels, and will only warrant their engines to run on a blend of up to 5 percent."

Petrol outlets, including Tesco, sell petrol and diesel that's 5% biofuel.

[James Hellyer]

Additionally for the really green MP the lack of bicycle spaces needs to be addressed.

I was thnking of the Paddington line, which if I recall correctly has provision for bikes and extra luggage. That said, it shouldn't be beyond the resources of most MPs to have a bike for the city and a bike for home.

[William Norton]

Additionally for the really green MP the lack of bicycle spaces needs to be addressed.

There's ways and means. Tower Hamlets under New Labour [change of management imminent] have a brilliant development policy: no new development is allowed if it has car parking space for residents, officially to encourage them to buy bicycles. Result: roads congested by on-street parking; policing resources diverted into deterring car crime. Doh!

[Rick]

What cars does Darling drive I wonder?

Posted by: Andrew Woodman | April 23, 2006 at 10:16

Since he supposedly has no driving licence I too would be interested !

Why can't Cameron have a second-hand car ? It is a much more efficient way to revitalise existing assets - and Toyota ?

The Prime Minister should have a Bentley - I mean the Bundeskanzlerin has a fleet of large Mercedes limousines - and Joschka Fischer and his green friends had the most powerful limousines of any German government.

[Henry Whitmarsh]

I want to see the change of registration form for Ming's beloved Jag when he sells it in support of his local donkey sanctuary or whatever, as he said he'd do. Still no sign of it being sold yet.

[PassingThru]

Is this what politics has really degenerated into in this country - worrying about how an extra 82 grams of carbon for every half mile disappeares into the billions of tonnes of other waste up there? This is a non-issue. A commitment to stop the growth in airport capacity (not one i personally agree with) would signal a real change in priorities.

[John Coles]

You seem to miss the cunning nature of Mr Cameron's plan, PassingThru. By banging on endlessly about "Green" policies the Conservative party leader is able to avoid committing himself on matters like immigration, excessive taxation and the EU's supreme irrelevance to our country's needs. Instead of worrying about POLICIES (SO yesterday) take comfort with the thought that you can:
"Vote Blue, Go Green, Puke Technicolour."

[James Hellyer]

Instead of worrying about POLICIES...

Apart from all the ones he's been announcing, obviously.

At this rate the only things the policy reviews will have left to report back on will be issues like crime and tax, and in those areas the approaches have already been decided.

[Patsy Sergeant]

I agree with 'Passing Thru' about airport capacity.

At the moment there are plans to extend the existing runway or build a new one at Luton Airport. Luton is also in the middle of Prescott's corridor of house building taking in Milton Keynes. I don't live anywhere near Luton but when I visit, the noise (at the moment) of EasyJet planes is quite intrusive. One can imagine a future of one big continuous urban sprawl, between concrete highways on one side spewing out carbon monoxide, and a series of runways on the other side, with aviation fuel or carbon ice blocks, decorating the many houses below periodically!! OK so I'm a pessimist.

[Chad]

That's still a pretty good choice of "green" car to be fair.

Perhaps now is the time to collate the cars and mileage of all cabinet teams in Labour, Tory and LibDems to find out who really is committed to "being the change".

It is a shame though that this committment to "being the change" doesn't extend to other important areas away from fuel-efficiency to fiscal-efficiency of political parties.

It seems in that area, our politicians are happy to keep acting like gas-guzzlers taking as much from the taxpayer as they possibly can.

[Burkean]

45,000 quid? Even a Prius at 18,000 smackers is about 10,000 more than an equivalent Fiesta. In his Telegraph piece today Cameron says, "Instead of demonising car use, we must transform the vehicles we drive." That's fine for those who can afford it, but what about the vast majority that can't. Either we're going to see massive subsidies and an associated rise in public spending (around 2m new cars are sold annually in the UK - a 10000 pound subsidy for half of those would cost 10 billion) or the less well-off are going to be forced onto public transport by expense. No wonder the working class are forgoing the Tories for the BNP.

[Chad]

Agreed Burkean, but cheaper efficient cars are on the way and perhaps it makes sence to target the most polluting large gas-guzzler market first.

I'm waiting for the Loremo which will be cheap, amazingly fuel-efficient and cool too. Still about 3 years to wait though... ;-(

[Richard]

It is good to see that Cameron isn't taking the Luddite approach of the Greens.

Despite being a car user myself I do wonder whether the ripping up of our railways was a wise decision.

[Deputy Editor]

Loremo is based on the principle of a captive balloon: Whoever sheds ballast, will pick up speed.
The sensational fuel consumption of only 1.5 litres / 100 km is due to the reduction of weight and air resistance and is the result of a productive "struggle" for comfort, design and efficiency
So basically, it's just a light car?

[Deputy Editor]

And trams, Richard. See this week's big launch

[James Maskell]

So people are caring more about whether people are driving environmentally damaging cars than whether people are having affairs?

Guess thats Boris Johnson off the hook then!

[Chad]

So basically, it's just a light car?

You say it like it is a bad thing Sam.

Indeed, the best innovation is usually the most simple. This car is believed to achieve 186 mpg usually existing technology thus making it fuel efficient and cheap.

That appeals to my way of thinking as it is not just seeking to use expensive new technology when it can make an effective and affordable start with existing technology.

I've always been taught that K.I.S.S is the most effective approach.

Champion simple ideas Sam, don't look for the most complicated solution.

[John Hustings]

"So people are caring more about whether people are driving environmentally damaging cars than whether people are having affairs?

Guess thats Boris Johnson off the hook then!"

I find it strange that David Cameron tells us that we shouldn't preach to people how to live their lives (by which he means anything to do with sex or yobbish behaviour), but does exactly that with this environmental crusade of his.

If John Major was criticised for setting too high a standard for his MPs to follow, surely Cameron has done exactly the same?

[James Maskell]

A joke about Boris Johnson collapses like the French Army...

Good point though. Cameron has a number of contradictions.

[Editor]

I think you make a really important point John. We're always being told that the private conduct of politicians like Boris Johnson doesn't matter in terms of their political status - although family breakdown has a huge impact on the 'social ecology' - the connectedness between generations and the sustainability of community.

[Dontmakemelaugh]

Letter sent to Telegraph:
41 scientists debunk global warming alert

The president of the Royal Society, Lord Rees of Ludlow, asserts that the evidence for human-caused global warming "is now compelling" and concerning (Letters, April 19).

In a public letter, we have recently advised the Canadian Prime Minister of exactly the opposite - which is that "global climate changes all the time due to natural causes and the human impact still remains impossible to distinguish from this natural 'noise' ".

We also noted that "observational evidence does not support today's computer climate models, so there is little reason to trust model predictions of the future".

(Dr) Ian D Clark, Professor, Isotope hydrogeology and paleoclimatology, Dept of Earth Sciences, University of Ottawa, Canada

(Dr) Bob Carter, Adjunct Professor of Geology, Marine Geophysical Laboratory, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia

A full list of the signatories".

Has anyone heard a public debate or discussion on climate change on the BBC (or the climate of fear change as some call it)
between our very own doom - monger in-chief professor (professor of what?) King and the above mention protesters - you have n't heard such a debate with these gentleman face to face? No! Neither have I (I have heard plenty of unqualified Greens and F of the Earth on the BBC) and until I do I will regard it as another EU scam and a photo op for another useless politician.

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

"And trams, Richard. See this week's big launch."

Captain Darling and the other idiots at the Department of Transport already spent millions of pounds of public money conducting the groundwork for new tram projects but then took the unfathomable decision to ditch the projects - could these be resuscitated?

[James Maskell]

I hate to say this as it goes completely against my anti-Cameron instincts, but regardless of whether global warming is a threat or whether it exists, is it a bad thing to be more aware of how we are treating the environment or dealing with our energy supplies in relation to the environment?

[Selsdon Man]

Tram networks cost hundreds of millions. The disruption in town centres is very unpopular.

Many left-wing authorities see them as a way to shaft the competing private bus companies.

The most successful tram schemes have been implemented on old "heavy" rail - Croydon Tramlink and Manchester Metrolink. That is better use of existing infrsatructure.

Otherwise, don't touch them with bargepole.

[Serf]

"is not compatible with 'neat' biodiesel, as the complex engines are specifically tuned for conventional fuels, and will only warrant their engines to run on a blend of up to 5 percent."

Unless we are able to produce Biodiesel in massive quantities, a 5% mix is actually better for the environment as it produces more power than pure diesel. Pure Biodiesel produces less power.

So incentivising the addition of small quantities of Biodiesel into all diesel would have a bigger impact than any number of high profile "Pure Biofuel" cars.

[comstock]

Prius is certainly not suitable for travelling around the country

As somebody who has been the length and bredth of Britian in everything from a Mini, to a Punto to a Fiesta to a Polo to a Nova (now back on a Fiesta again), I would think the Prius more than adequate!

[Henry Whitmarsh]

Now, I don't like Zak(c?) Goldsmith, mainly because without Daddies money and contacts he wouldn't have come to anything. However, he did say that to be environmentally minded you didn't have to live like a monk. How could you? The whole way we live is bound up with wasteful technologies and ways of living. The point is to affect a bigger change which means that being green doesn't involve extraordinary personal sacrifices and hardships.

[Geoff]

which emits CO2 at a rate of 104 grammes per kilometre

What on earth does this mean in real measurements? When I'm in England, I prefer to speak in English.

[Nicholas Slide]

Genius - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2006/04/24/cameron/cameron5.jpg (Tim - pologies if I'm not allowed to post direct links)

[a-tracy]

Why is it assumed that the way to tackle the environment issues of the day is through taxation? Surely if the parties are all serious about these issues they could collectively approach the great minds in our leading universities and task them to find an alternative means to power the vehicles that we all use in our daily lives.

This is unlikely to happen whilst the governments of the day derive such a high proportion of tax revenues from the very vehicles they want us to use less.

I can remember fifteen years ago the first mobile telephones were the size of an attache case and you needed the biceps of a weight lifter to carry it and now look at them, we'll have them like a credit card with an earing receiver. Taxing usage will never solve this problem.

If I can suggest one massive way to cut down on MP's road useage it would be that MP's video conferenced from their constituency rather than attending the Westminster club every week. As an added benefit you wouldn't need them to pay out subsistence allowance for second homes and save the taxpayer even more. To suggest that you cannot debate other than in person isn't necessarily correct anymore.

[comstock]

Why is it assumed that the way to tackle the environment issues of the day is through taxation? Surely if the parties are all serious about these issues they could collectively approach the great minds in our leading universities and task them to find an alternative means to power the vehicles that we all use in our daily lives.
I can remember fifteen years ago the first mobile telephones were the size of an attache case and you needed the biceps of a weight lifter to carry it and now look at them, we'll have them like a credit card with an earing receiver

Leaving politics aside for 1 sec, I totally agree. We have known about (some of)the problems of overdependance on oil for 30 odd years now.

Bit of useless trivia-in 1900 electric and petrol cars were at about the same level but oil appeared to be cheap and limitless so petrol won - I think we took the wrong turn-forgive the pun!