The Budget

The idea that I could go out and scrap an old car and receive £2,000 off the purchase of a Rolls Royce says it all. Last year's cut in VAT (to 15%) is already saving Rolls buyers £7,000. Surely this money would have been better spent on improving public transport or on more cycle lanes

Yes,

There's nothing to stop you from using this hand-out to trade in a Fiat 500 for a Range Rover. The car scrappage scheme is not about jobs or the environment: it is not green and it's not a new deal. It's simply another installment in the 50-year history of government subsidies for the motor industry.

And

If we really want to be green, why are we supporting the car industry at all? Call me old-fashioned, but subsidising trains or bikes is still my idea of a green transport policy.The inconvenient truth is that if you are hell-bent on becoming a green-collar worker, your best chance is to join the car or the nuclear industry.