16-17 year olds can now get their Coronavirus vaccination
16-17 year olds can now get their Coronavirus vaccination at one of Bedford Borough's drop-in clinics:
17 Aug 2021
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
How can we recycle more? Take the survey
How can we recycle more? How can we make our tips and doorstep collections work better? Liberal Democrat campaigners across Hampshire are working to increase and improve our recycling services. Please take our quick survey and tell us what matters to you! Take the survey at https://www.hantslibdems.org.uk/tipsurvey
LC
17 Aug 2021
Geoff Strudwick
It is with regret we report that Geoff Strudwick, a long serving Liberal Democrat member from Buxton, has died peacefully at the age of 89.
BT
17 Aug 2021
Ministers must fix their mess on PCR tests
Lib Dem research reveals holidaymakers are paying millions for PCR tests that aren't being checked for new variants. Travellers are paying through the nose for a system that isn't doing its job - while the Government drags its feet over lower prices for tests. They must immediately cap the cost of PCR tests for travel and ensure that as many as possible are sequenced for new variants.
17 Aug 2021
Our international leaders should hang their heads in shame
Our thoughts are with those in Afghanistan after this weekend's events. Women and girls will be terrified that their liberties and rights are about to be permanently extinguished. We must not conclude that this rapid collapse was inevitable. It was not. We must never forget that the scenes playing out before our eyes are a direct result of the decisions taken by President Biden, the UK Government and other coalition forces. The Prime Minister should call in all political parties and ensure that we respond with unity and purpose.
17 Aug 2021
The tragedy of Afghanistan: Soldiers’ sacrifice, refugees, human rights and strategic blunders – the Liberal Democrats’ Friends of the Armed Forces express shock and horror at the latest news, and call for Government action.
After 20 years of service and sacrifice by our Armed Forces in Afghanistan, the Taliban have swept back to power, risking both British national security and the lives of Afghan civilians, especially women and girls.
17 Aug 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!”
