David Cameron Fells Green Politics

David Cameron has not given a major speech on the environment since becoming prime minister in 2010. Given Britain’s economic and fiscal plight, it is hard to blame him. After rebranding themselves as guardians of Mother Earth, the Conservative party had to scurry to re-rebrand as flinty custodians of the ruined public finances. George Osborne, the hawkish chancellor of the exchequer, gradually became the prevailing counsel in Mr Cameron’s ear. It has not eluded the chancellor’s notice that the percentage of voters who rank the environment as an important issue has fallen to low single figures. In the face of resistance from his governing partners, the Liberal Democrats, he is trying to prune the coalition’s green policies, especially those likely to impose costs on ordinary people. --Janan Ganesh, Financial Times, 8 September 2012[Registration Required]