Liberal Democrats demand a Clean Air Act
Liberal Democrats demand the Conservative Government bring forward a Clean Air Act enshrining the legal right to unpolluted air.
RLD
18 Mar 2019
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
York Conference 2019 - A Delegate's Report
Over 1,000 Liberal Democrats traveled to York and were rewarded with some beautifully crafted and delivered speeches and some from nervous first timers but they were all united in their passion for justice. Delegates from all over Europe spoke about their sadness at the possibility we might be no longer a part of the European Union and all speakers were united in their anger that we will be cast away from the biggest market in the world and the union that had brought peace, solidarity and free movement to so many diverse nations.
FLH
18 Mar 2019
Sir Vince's Speech to the York Spring Conference
Sir Vince Cable makes his final Spring Conference speech as Leader " we are committed to tackling the underlying causes of Brexit. " " What is democracy if it is not the right for a country to change its mind?" " It is dividing families, communities, and even the United Kingdom and sucking the energy out of government. "Anyone who imagines that getting Theresa May's proposed Brexit through Parliament at the - third, fourth, fifth - time of asking will bring closure and stability is suffering from serious self-delusion." "If Brexit is a political Everest, we have only just got to the Base Camp. " What a sad state of affairs that our main safeguard against Home Office tyranny is its own chronic inefficiency." "There are millions of Conservative voters who are disgusted with the incompetence, the self-indulgence and the inhumanity of this Tory Government but so long as Labour appears to be a nightmare, they will cling to the Tory nurse, for fear of something worse. "It is a sobering thought that just under 2,0
18 Mar 2019
Former Chelmsford Mayor Felicity Sturt passed away
Former Chelmsford Mayor Felicity Sturt passed away at her home on Saturday 2nd March 2019. Felicity was 85 years young and dedicated to the local community.
18 Mar 2019
Speeding surveys
Following requests brought to him by candidates Sarah Cloke (Brentwood West) and Jay Laplain (Warley) as they knock on doors around their respective wards, Cllr David Kendall has requested speed surveys for the following roads:
18 Mar 2019
Lib Dem action leads to new Blue Badge spaces
Blue Badge Holders Car Park in William Hunter Way ...
18 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!”
