Wera Hobhouse - Green Hero - Green Liberal Democrats

Wera Hobhouse - Green Hero

Spokesperson for Climate Change and Energy in the Liberal Democrat party and MP for Bath, Wera is one of our most committed Green Heroes

"The whole of government and society must understand the need to get to net-zero
- everything we do should be seen in terms of that target."

23 Nov 2019

Wera Hobhouse is the Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, elected with a 5,694 majority in 2017 and is the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Energy and Climate Change. She is also a Vice Chair on the Environment All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and is currently attending COP28 as a part of the official Parliamentary delegation and PRASEG the Renewable and Sustainable Energy APPG. Wera is also an Honorary Vice President of the Green Liberal Democrats and a most valued member. Her mission will be to encourage the UK government to step up and reinstate itself as an internationally renound climate leader.

"COP28 comes at a pivotal moment. Wildfires, floods and extreme weather, exacerbated by climate change, are unjustly displacing people across the world. I am honoured to represent the Liberal Democrats and communities across the UK as a delegate to this critical summit."

She was born in Hanover, Germany moving to the UK in 1990 and is a devoted pro-EU activist as well as environmentalist. She cites one of her first ventures into activism as being in the anti-nuclear movements in Hanover which was earmarked as a permanent nuclear-waste storage facility. Wera cut her environmental teeth challenging a housing development on an asbestos-contaminated site (Spodden Valley asbestos controversy) when she and her husband, William, were Conservative Councillors in Rochdale. This was the fight that persuaded them to become Liberal Democrats in 2005. Wera then became Cabinet Member for the Environment on Rochdale Council between 2006 and 2009 and chaired the Health Scrutiny committee from 2009 to 2010. She now consistently criticises the current government for their reckless inadequacies in fighting climate change, their proposals falling short of necessary climate goals repeatedly, arguing that it comes with a desire to protect their personal ties within oil and gas industry.

As MP for Bath Wera introduced a Private Members' Bill to amend the Sexual Offences Act 2003; her bill outlawed acts of voyeurism, especially upskirting, which were not then explicitly covered by UK law. Despite initial pushback from the Conservatives it was passed in July 2018. These credentials highlight her versatility and skill for negotiation.

Wera is passionate about the necessity of acting quickly to reduce carbon emissions as a way of tackling the Climate Emergency and has argued strongly the importance of communicating to voters the need for urgent action to reach net-zero by 2045.

Climate Cluster

Amongst her many achievements in Parliament and as her role as Spokesperson for Climate Change and Energy within the Lib Dems, one of Wera's greatest contributions to local politics is the Climate Cluster meeting, which she chairs. The meeting regularly occurs at 10 am every Wednesday (when Parliament is in session) on Zoom and brings together local Lib Dem councillors, politicians and policymakers from all over the country to listen to a speaker, who is an expert in their field, inspire and educate attendees so they can be the best equipped to tackle issues in their own areas. Think globally, act locally is a core tenet of this cluster!

GLD have gathered experts in renewable energy sectors, be that geothermal or community energy or retrofitting, NGOs such as Friends of the Earth and WWF are returning presenters to help influence and shape best policy ideas in line with current science and expertise. Additionally we have had adept speakers on how industries major consumers of energy and fossil fuels can transition into the future of net-zero, such as in aviation.

Motions and Campaigns

Wera Hobhouse's multifaceted nature is reflected in her constant accumulation of campaigns. Here are some recent engagements and issues in which she is in pursuit of solutions:

Connecting Communities Policy Motion - Give Local Authorities (LA)greater power to fund public transport. Lower fares, support rural bus routes, remove ban on LA-owned bus companies and much more. (Motion moved by Wera Hobhouse at Autumn Conference)
Greater accessibility to public transport and active travel pathways for those with limited mobility and disabilities.
Emergency Insulation measures for struggling homes this winter.
Call for a stronger commitment to railway electrification to meet net-zero targets.
Call for government to make sure our recycling is "actually recycled"
Greater Investment for the future of sustainable aviation

Making Change Happen

Wera Hobhouse MP is a key member of our Green Liberal Democrats team which can, together, make environmental change happen in Parliament, so we'll be doing all we can to help get her elected. Will you join us?

Tackling the Climate Crisis

The UN says we have roughly 11 years to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. Meanwhile, real wages have stagnated and global trade wars threaten our economies. Solving these global crises requires elected leaders to provide the right policy and funding for climate action, as well as to empower businesses and constituents to make urgent changes.