Conservatives

Yesterday I was lucky enough to be in the House of Lords to see the latest instalment of the decarbonisation target saga unfold. This is the target which would see carbon removed from the UK’s electricity system by 2030. It should be in the Energy Bill but isn't, because George Osborne fought to keep it out.

Is it really a year since David Cameron, newly ensconced as prime minister, assured us that the coalition would be the "greenest government ever"? It's an anniversary worth remembering, if only to consider how, in environmental terms, Cameron's government seems stuck in reverse.

Some promising news from the Tory party conference in Manchester, where they've pledged to dump plans for Heathrow's third runway as part of their election campaign package. "We are absolutely firm on our opposition to expansion at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted," shadow transport minister Julian Brazier told the Evening Standard today. "It will definitely be in the manifesto."

It's great to hear their commitment being reaffirmed as it shows how isolated the government is on this issue. But there's a long way to go between promising to include it in the election manifesto, being able to form a government and then actually getting round to reversing the decision. Reports from the conference say that the Heathrow pledge in Theresa Villiers' speech received a polite smattering of applause, but her promise to crackdown on cowboy clampers roused the audience further still. Make of that what you will.