Conservative MPs vote to allow pollution of our rivers and coasts
Both of our local Tory MPs voted to allow sewage to be pumped into our major community asset the River Severn!
28 Jan 2023
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Liberal Democrats secure historic ULEZ amendment to Sadiq Khan’s budget
On Thursday, the Assembly debated Sadiq Khan’s budget for London for 2023-2024. The Liberal Democrat Group secured an historic amendment to the Mayor’s budget – it is simple, affordable and will be effective in helping people in Outer London to cope with the Ultra Low Emission Zone expansion.
28 Jan 2023
Brighton second most expensive place for council car parks in country
28/01/2023 - An article in The Daily Mail showed that after Manchester, Brighton alongside London has the most expensive council car parks in the country. Manchester at £5.70 per hour leads the pack with Brighton and London following at £4.50 per hour. The recent attempt by the council to increase the residential and on street parking fees by 10% per annum only goes to show that the City Council views the motorist as a cash cow in their attempt to make up for government cut backs. Their policies have already resulted in a loss of £1.7 million income from parking permits. This can only mean that motorists are already finding it hard to meet the cost of parking in the city. With the high prices they charge for traders parking permits the question must also be asked whether that is impacting the level of business and the availability of services in the city.
TF
28 Jan 2023
Layla Moran secures a vote on Golden Visas
Liberal Democrat MPs proposed an amendment to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill in the House of Commons which would have forced the Government to release their review of the so-called Golden Visa scheme. Conservative MPs voted against the Lib Dem amendment.
28 Jan 2023
Are we sailing?
When even a stalwart Conservative voter like Rod Stewart decides to slip anchor and says the country is better off without the Tories then there really is something seriously amiss with them and their policies. Unfortunately for the likes of Sir Rod, it would appear that his beloved party and more specifically Jeremy Hunt - the man with his hands on our purse strings - just doesn't 'get it". Hunt's comment that people are "not remotely interested in personal tax affairs" is so far off the mark that it defies belief in his political intelligence.
JD
28 Jan 2023
195 hospitality businesses in Bedford Borough face cost of living cliff edge
195 businesses in Bedford Borough are facing a huge £840,000 energy bill increase once Government support is slashed in April, new analysis from the Liberal Democrats has revealed.The average bill increase is likely to be around £4,317, putting pubs, restaurants and cafes at risk.
28 Jan 2023
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!”
