Responding to the reports that the Advertising Standards Authority have ruled that Home Office radio adverts for the EU Settled Status scheme were "misleading", Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Christine Jardine said "It's appalling the way EU citizens have been treated by the Tories since the referendum."
Since the day Boris Johnson PM announced the prorogation of Parliament, local residents have gathered outside the Town Hall in Saffron Walden to express their support for Parliamentary Democracy. This pro-democracy vigil is not associated with any political party. People all over the country, and of all political persuasions and none, have been shocked by the proposal to shut Parliament down at this crucial time. The vigil has been held every weekday evening from 5:30 to 6:00 pm, with participants of all ages holding umbrellas in the sunshine, and home-made placards.
The Liberal Democrats are delighted to announce that Penistone and Stocksbridge MP Angela Smith has joined the party.
Lib Dems in Gravesham welcomes two of our SE Region MEPs to a Street Stall in Gravesend. Antony Hook and Judith Bunting both came to support our discussions with local people and meet our new PPCs for Gravesham and Dartford.
Claire Perry-Conservative Member of Parliament for the Devizes constituency-announced yesterday (Friday, 6th September) that she will not seek re-election but will instead concentrate on her role as President of next year's major UN conference on climate (COP 26). There is no bigger or more important political job for Claire to take on. I wish her every success in COP 26's task of extracting detailed greenhouse gas reduction plans from the world's governments.
Saturday 14th (All events in BIC) • 1pm - 2.30pm Climate Emergency Policy & Motion - Options and Outcomes
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!”
