Who Said Green Crap?

Young Dave was once fond of saying “Vote blue, go green”. He famously journeyed to the Arctic to burnish his environmental credentials. A Tory Government would be “the greenest Government ever”. All this, we are now led to believe by Rupe’s downmarket troops at the Super Soaraway Currant Bun, is to be ditched, except the Tories aren’t too hot on owning up to the idea just yet.

And, although the Sun has now been taken behind a paywall, we know what was in the article after its non-bullying Political Editor Tom Newton Dunn grandly advertised the story on Twitter, and then the deeply subversive Guardian used the copy for its own report (see the problem there, Rupe?). And it’s not difficult to get hold of an image of the paper’s front page for today.

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So what’s the story? “Downing Street has said it does not recognise reports that David Cameron ordered aides to ‘get rid of all the green crap’ from energy bills in a drive to bring down costs. According the Sun, the prime minister used the direct language to dismiss green levies, which go towards paying for renewables and helping the poor cut their usage”. Interesting. Do go on.

Super soaraway spelling howler: £7 "Fee-In tariffs"

“Downing Street denied the ‘vague’ report, saying they did not recognise the language when asked about the phrase ‘green crap’. However, they did not appear to deny the sentiment, pointing out Cameron has repeatedly promised to roll back to green taxes”. So Young Dave didn’t use those words, but it seems A Big Boy Did It And Ran Away. The Guardian then confirms this.

Guardian brings the real story

“The Sun quoted an unnamed senior Tory source as saying: ‘The prime minister is going round Number 10 saying: 'We have got to get rid of all this green crap'. He is totally focused on it. We used to say: 'Vote blue, go green', now it's: 'Vote blue, get real'’”. Hmmm, “unnamed senior Tory source”, and one who clearly does not mind his words reaching the ears of the Murdoch press.

Got the culprit in one

Who might go to Rupe’s lads first? Maybe someone who knows the Dirty Digger of old. Someone from, say, Australia? My friend John Band has been on the case and his conclusion confirms my line of thought. This one has Croz running through it like a stick of rock, whistling his doggy for all he’s worth. And a little thought shows why it’s a totally empty act.

Much of the “green crap” goes on help for pensioners and low-income earners. Without it, the estimated average annual bill for 2020 would be £166 higher. And the Tories’ coalition partners would not let them do it in any case (yes, the Sun can’t spell “feed” properly, referring instead to “fee-in tariffs”). Thus the state of joined-up thinking coming out of 10 Downing Street right now.

Still, it keeps Croz in the style to which he’s accustomed, so that’s all right, then.