Supporting our Communities
Liberal Democrats have played a major part in the Covid response across our towns and villages. They have recruited...
14 Mar 2021
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Make Votes Matter meets Prof John Curtice
MVM meets Prof. John Curtice Make Votes Matter are delighted to announce that renowned pollster and election expert Prof. John Curtice will be joining us to discuss the 2019 General Election and what it means for electoral reform. Every General Election, many of us wait with baited breath for 10pm and the release of the exit poll forecast from Prof. Curtice and his team. If you'd like to hear first-hand what he thinks about General Election 2019 and to ask him your questions, then join us on Thursday, 25 March at 6.30pm. Register here.
14 Mar 2021
Liberal Democrats welcome new protections on revenge porn and cross-examination
Liberal Democrats have welcomed the key protections being introduced today in the landmark Domestic Abuse Bill that would extend the crime of revenge porn to include threats to share intimate images, and widen the ban on cross-examination of survivors of domestic abuse in the civil courts.
GC
14 Mar 2021
‘Safe’ is also a state of mind
When it comes to the DCC Highway Authority it seems that what is 'safe' is related to how many people have been killed or injured in a given stretch of highway. It does not appear to be in any way related to how the average person feels as they attempt to cross that highway or ride a bike along it. We believe that at a time when we are encouraging as many people as possible to leave the car at home in order to tackle climate change, those involved in transport planning should take seriously the need to make people feel safe when walking, cycling or taking public transport.
PD
14 Mar 2021
Green Belt is under threat from the Conservatives
Whatever they say in their leaflets, under the Conservative White Paper Planning for the Future, the green belt is under...
14 Mar 2021
Derbyshire’s Roads Third Worst in England
A recent report about potholes in England reveals Derbyshire County Council as the third highest area for the most potholes...
CLD
14 Mar 2021
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!”
