Boris must go
While you followed the rules, Boris Johnson partied at Number 10. He broke the law, lied and treated you with...
15 Jan 2022
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Why is the Grantham and Stamford MP so silent on the number 10 party scandals?
As we know the MP for Grantham and Stamford was parachuted in because it is a very safe Conservative seat. He repays that by always voting with the whip and looks to climb up the political ladder by never rocking the boat.
AA
15 Jan 2022
County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service
From now until 7 February 2022 we are running our annual consultation on our plans for the year ahead and we would really like to hear what you think. Making sure County Durham and Darlington have the safest people and safest places is a way of life for all us here in the Service. Every emergency call matters, every incident is responded to with the highest level of care and professionalism and we do all we can to protect those who live, work, study and visit County Durham and Darlington.
15 Jan 2022
Wixams Station remains on track to open in 2024
A preferred design for the much anticipated railway station in Wixams has been selected, allowing the project to progress further ahead of the planned opening in 2024.
15 Jan 2022
Forget about those Downing Street Parties, Forget about Johnson - the Tories are quietly Removing our Freedoms
Forget about those Parties, forget about Johnson - the Tories are removing our Freedoms one by one. It's the Tories we need to get rid of, not just the current Prime Minister. Three years ago I, and about a million other people, marched to Parliament Square campaigning for another Referendum on Brexit - now that the British people finally were realising what it was all about. At the critical moment we raised such a cheer that we were getting mobile calls to say that the MPs had heard us in the Chamber of the House of Commons. Sadly the Conservatives got enough Labour support to vote out our call for a second referendum (or "third", some say). However protest like that might be difficult or impossible in the future. The Conservatives have brought in an Elections Bill - which will make it more difficult to vote by requiring mandatory photo ID to be presented at the polling station - although I personally always have my bus pass to hand. They have brought in a Police, Crime, S
14 Jan 2022
Forget about those Downing Street Parties, Forget about Johnson - the Tories are quietly Removing our Freedoms
Forget about those Parties, forget about Johnson - the Tories are removing our Freedoms one by one. It's the Tories we need to get rid of, not just the current Prime Minister. Three years ago I, and about a million other people, marched to Parliament Square campaigning for another Referendum on Brexit - now that the British people finally were realising what it was all about. At the critical moment we raised such a cheer that we were getting mobile calls to say that the MPs had heard us in the Chamber of the House of Commons. Sadly the Conservatives got enough Labour support to vote out our call for a second referendum (or "third", some say). However protest like that might be difficult or impossible in the future. The Conservatives have brought in an Elections Bill - which will make it more difficult to vote by requiring mandatory photo ID to be presented at the polling station - although I personally always have my bus pass to hand. They have brought in a Police, Crime, S
14 Jan 2022
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!”
