Digital Delivery by Folkestone and Hythe District Council [The Last of a Sequence]
In 2015, I posted about the inability of Shepway District Council to accept an online debit / credit card payment for the renewal of a parking permit.
8 Jun 2018
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Jo Swinson introduces Private Member’s Bill on parental leave
Well done to Lib Dem Deputy Leader Jo Swinson on introducing her Parental Leave and Pay Arrangements Private Member's Bill in the Commons. Here she is talking about it:
KJ
8 Jun 2018
Vince’s IPPR speech
Lib Dem leader Vince Cable MP was invited by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) Commission on Economic Justice to speak this morning. You can watch the speech here, with Vince's bit from 10:38 in.
KJ
8 Jun 2018
Cable asks Lewisham East voters to pass on a message to Corbyn on Brexit
The Lib Dems may be starting a long way behind in Lewisham East - 4.4% of the vote against Labour's 67% in last year's general election - but the party is taking the race extremely seriously. Sir Vince Cable's frequent visits to the constituency - and some goading from his local candidate Lucy Salek - certainly appears to be a factor in Jeremy Corbyn's decision to grace it with his presence today, albeit in a way that is going to be very carefully orchestrated.
TIMWALKERLDL
8 Jun 2018
Rushcliffe Lib Dems select their candidate for Parliament
Rushcliffe Liberal Democrats have elected local campaigner, Jason Billin, as their Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC).
8 Jun 2018
George Smid: Just get on with Brexit
There is a 'Brexit fatigue' malady going around the land. It is affecting Leavers and Remainers alike. The disorder disturbs the mind - whenever the affected person sees, hears or reads anything about Brexit, (which is every day) he or she exclaims "For God's sake get on with it' - (and don't bother me anymore).
GS
8 Jun 2018
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!”
