LABOUR'S LACK OF BACKBONE ON CLIMATE CHANGE EXPOSED - LIB DEMS

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 18th Jun 2009

At First Minister's Questions today, Iain Gray promised that Labour would lodge an amendment to the Climate Change Bill to introduce an interim target to cut emissions. But Mr Gray forgot to mention that the Labour Party had the chance to make the Climate Change Bill tougher at the Committee stage, but voted with the Government, ignoring an amendment for a tough interim target already tabled by Mrs McInnes.

Liberal Democrat Climate Change spokesperson Alison McInnes MSP welcomed the Labour Party's belated recognition that the SNP's Climate Change Bill lacks ambition and needs tough interim targets.

Commenting, Mrs McInnes said:

"Iain Gray's MSPs had a chance to beef up this Bill weeks ago at the Committee Stage. But Labour MSPs meekly followed the Government line, voting down the ambitious interim target suggested by the Liberal Democrats.

"By trying to expose the SNP's lack of ambition, Iain Gray only managed to expose Labour's lack of backbone."