Greens pledge radical tax reforms

The Green party today unveiled a manifesto containing radical plans to overhaul taxation to fuel its social justice and sustainability agenda.

The party's principal speaker, Keith Taylor, said the policies would deliver "real change", designed to safeguard the long-term future of the environment.

The Greens have yet to secure a single parliamentary seat at Westminster, but have two elected representatives in the London assembly, two MEPs in the European parliament, seven members of the Scottish parliament and around 60 councillors.

The taxation plans announced at the party's manifesto launch in London today included replacing VAT with eco taxes such as aviation fuel tax and plastic bag tax.

The Greens also propose to replace business tax rates with a land value tax that they claim is much fairer to small businesses.

London assembly member Jenny Jones, who is challenging Tessa Jowell in Dulwich and West Norwood, accepted it was a manifesto designed to appeal to ex-Labour voters.

She told reporters: "What's not to love for socialists? This is a platform that promotes social justice."

Admitting the party had a long way to go to in attracting coverage without having an MP in Westminster, she said: "I feel now is the time for our breakthrough.

"Where we've had the balance of power, such as in the London assembly, we've achieved a lot of incredibly practical things."

But she conceded: "Our manifesto is not a list of things we think people want - it's a manifesto for radical change."

The party joined the Liberal Democrats in pledging to scrap council tax, however while the Lib Dems want to bring in a local income tax, the Greens have set their sights on replacing it with the land value tax.

High earners would be hit with a higher rate of income tax, the level of which the party did not specify, while employers would be relieved of their national insurance contributions responsibilities in order to stimulate more employment.

The party promised to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20% within the next five years, while increasing the level of recycling of domestic waste to 60% by 2010.

It also promised to increase NHS funding by £90bn a year by 2008 and restore the health service to its "founding principles".

The party reiterated its opposition to the use of the private sector to aid NHS delivery, and to foundation hospitals.

The manifesto promised £30bn of investment for public transport, with the scrapping of government road building schemes and the return of rail and tube networks to public ownership. The party said it would bring the bus network back under regulation.

The Greens also pledged a massive investment in renewable energy.

Mr Taylor, who is the party's parliamentary candidate in the Brighton Pavilion constituency, said: "For the past five years, the big three parties have followed agendas of privatise and pollute which have left carbon dioxide levels soaring, local economies decimated and public services sold off to profiteering private companies."

"Green party policies are policies for people, all about reforging the links between government and the community.

"They are about recognising that we only have this planet and it must meet our needs as well as those of generations to come. Only the Greens are at the forefront of peace, justice and sustainability."