Speaking two days before the Queen's Speech Mr Huhne outlined a Liberal Democrat alternative and highlighted the need for action on the environment to be at the forefront of the Government's programme.

"A Climate Change Bill has to have teeth and bite. There must be annual targets that allow the Government's progress on climate change to be assessed. It is not rocket science to allow both for the economic cycle and for the weather - economic forecasters do this all the time," the Eastleigh MP told the audience.

Chris Huhne added, "Rumours that a Marine Bill has been dropped is a blow to coastal areas and our marine environment, which is ill-protected and anarchically managed. The current laws are utterly inadequate to protect and enhance our coastal zones and territorial waters. We urgently need of more Marine Nature Reserves. Yet perversely, the Government seems especially."

Chris Huhne formerly an economist and journalist is one of the most vocal supporters of a radical increase in eco-taxes to tackle carbon emissions

"The Liberal Democrats want to cut income tax for everyone, and take millions of the least well off out of income tax altogether, whilst instead taxing pollution more heavily."

"Only the Liberal Democrats have put forward ways of tackling emissions from cars and planes, which are the only sector of the economy whose carbon emissions have risen since 1990. The green tax switch - taxing gas-guzzlers and planes to cut income tax - is essential. We should tax pollution not people."

"We are the only major party which takes the environment seriously and that does mean that environmental taxes will rise, but we will also cut income tax by 2p in the pound and take around three million people out of income tax completely. This will be good news not just for our environment but for everyone who will benefit from income tax cuts."

Chris Huhne was welcomed to Blackheath by local Councillor Chris Maines, local activist Alex Bonham and Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Lewisham Council, Cllr Mark Morris. The event attracted members from across Lewisham and Greenwich and was held at the Cactus Pit restaurant. The speech was followed by a question and answer session which included a assortment of issues from peace in the Middle East, personal freedoms to what an individual can do to reduce climate change.

The supper was the best attended ever. Cllr Chris Maines said that the high attendance reflected the party's successes last May when it gained the Blackheath ward taking the Liberal Democrat group on Lewisham Council to seventeen. Speakers in the new year will include Lord Garden, former Air Marshall and Edward Davey MP Liberal Democrat DTI spokesperson.