Read Vince Cable's speech to Spring Conference in full
Read Vince Cable's speech to Liberal Democrat Spring Conference, 2019 in York:
17 Mar 2019
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
LDER at spring conference in York
Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform have had a busy weekend at the party conference in York. We had lots of visitors calling by at our stall, including Party President Sal Brinton. We were also pleased to support and attend the Electoral Reform Society's panel discussion on Citizens' Assemblies. A very enjoyable weekend spent furthering the cause of fairer, more representative politics!
AH
17 Mar 2019
World Autism Week 2019
World Autism Awareness Week 1-7 April 2019 World Autism Awareness Week 2019 is taking place between the 1st and 7th April with World Autism Awareness Day also falling in the same week on Tuesday 2nd April.
17 Mar 2019
EU citizens continue leading role in Lib Dem campaign for best future for Norwich
Norwich Liberal Democrats have hailed the full role EU citizens are playing in leading the campaign for the best future of Norwich City Council despite continuing Brexit uncertainty.
17 Mar 2019
Broad Water Surveys
Weybridge CIL board has received bids for £413,000 and has a fund of £510,000 derived from CIL. Broad Water Surveys - £...
17 Mar 2019
Blog - From Under the duvet By Poppy Hasted
'Confined to bed'. 'Restricted to bed'. Bedbound, bedridden. Words and terms that sound so pitiable. So pathetic. So awful. A life that's hardly worth living. The end of ever having a 'normal' life again. Better off dead. But that's not the case. It doesn't have to be like that. Being stuck in bed most of the time doesn't have to mean it's all over and life is finished. There is so much that can still be done, so much left to do, so much life yet to live. I know there are many people who are in horrible pain or, at least, in considerable discomfort for much of the time and I can't speak for them as I haven't experienced it and don't fall into that category, but there are also lots of people, like me, who are just unable to get up much because of their impairment. This can be due the medical equipment they need to stay alive, due to the lack of help and support they have or at least, just because its such hard work to do it and its often not worth the effort. I'm one of that category.
16 Mar 2019
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath and spokesperson for Energy Security and Net Zero, called on the government to provide incentives for energy providers to develop solar power in the UK.
Mrs Hobhouse slammed the government for falling behind on meeting the UK’s renewable targets for solar energy capacity. The government plans to deploy 70 GW of solar power across the country by 2035. However, as of 2022, the UK had only installed 14.3 GW of solar pv.
Following a visit to a rooftop solar system installed by Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE) at Beechen Cliff School last year, Wera Hobhouse is keen to encourage the development of similar solar projects across Bath. The solar system is predicted to significantly cut the school’s fuel costs and reduce their carbon emissions by 52 tonnes a year.
In the House of Commons on the 27th February, the Bath MP noted that the UK is lagging behind the rest of the world in renewable energy investment, she urged the government to offer incentives to energy providers to improve solar capacity.
However, Andrew Bowie, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero, ignored Hobhouse’s proposals, failing to describe the ways in which the government could incentivise solar energy. Instead, Bowie said that the government’s Solar Taskforce would publish recommendations for solar power and reiterated the government’s target to deploy 70 GW by 2035.
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath and spokesperson for Energy Security and Net Zero, commented:
“The Conservatives are falling dangerously behind on meeting our targets for renewable energy production. It is no good the government setting an ambitious 70 GW solar target if they are nowhere near reaching it.
“It is clear that they have no plan to get us back on track to reach Net Zero. Evidently, they are more than happy to dismiss perfectly good proposals like incentivising solar power. That is why I am so proud that Bath is home to many community energy projects like the solar system at Beechen Cliff School, so that we can lead the way in renewables.”
“It is not just our climate targets harmed by the Conservatives’ delay. Families in Bath and across the country are struggling to pay soaring energy bills which investment in renewables could curb. That is why we Liberal Democrats would build significantly more renewable energy, aiming to generate 80% of our electricity from renewables by 2030.”
Peter Capener, Managing Director of Bath & West Community Energy said:
“Our work with schools is really demonstrating the value of community energy in both addressing the climate crisis and reducing fuel bills. Rooftop solar installed last year has already saved local schools a combined total of £134,209 and has reduced carbon emissions by 224.3 tonnes, which is equivalent to 12,173 journeys from Bath to Edinburgh by train!”
