"Nasty" Tories would choke off climate change aid - Fiona Hall MEP

3.30.00pm GMT Wed 25th Nov 2009

"Copenhagen is a chance to show real commitment to the environment and the developing world," says Fiona Hall MEP.

David Cameron's Tory MEPs have launched a last minute attempt to scupper the EU's Copenhagen position of arguing for climate change aid for developing countries.

In today's European Parliament debate on the EU strategy for the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change, Conservative MEP Martin Callanan tabled an amendment that would have removed the EU-wide commitment to provide "new and additional" money for funding mitigation and adaptation measures for the developing countries that are suffering from man-made climate change. The amendment was massively defeated by 33 votes to 638.

In a separate amendment, the Conservatives also opposed the Parliament's long-standing position that part of the money raised by the European Emissions Trading Scheme should be earmarked for developing countries' climate change needs. This was defeated by 78 votes to 588.

Fiona Hall MEP (North East of England), Leader of the Liberal Democrat MEPs, who will be attending the Copenhagen conference said:

"Today the Tory mask has slipped, revealing that underneath they are still the nasty party.

"The developing world emits a tiny fraction of global carbon but bears the worst impact of climate change. We need additional money to deal with a growing problem.

"It won't do to take funds from existing overseas aid budgets. Robbing Peter to pay Paul will cost lives.

"It is disgraceful that the Tories are trying to duck out of this responsibility.

"What happened to their commitment to the environment, and to the developing world?

"MEPs have voted against this mean-spirited effort to short-change the world's poorest people: the Tories should be ashamed of themselves."