Brexit Day
The following is a speech by Acting Liberal Democrat Leader, Ed Davey. For the last four years, the Liberal Democrats fought to stop Brexit.
WLDED
31 Jan 2020
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Bedford Visitor Information Centre is Moving to the Library
Bedford Visitor Information Centre (VIC) will be moving to a new home in Bedford Central Library from March this year.
31 Jan 2020
No quick fix from renationalised Northern Rail. North East must get its fair share of investment and increase ridership - the challenge for region's leaders.
News that Northern Rail is to follow the East Coast Main Line in being "renationalised" is not unexpected or unwelcome, but there are underlying issues that will need to be addressed before the region sees a rail renaissance, and rail users should not expect a quick fix, says Liberal Democrats' Greg Stone. Recent experience on the Metro network suggests ditching a struggling private sector provider does not automatically lead to better performance under a public sector operator if underlying problems aren't addressed. Northern's issues stem from long-term underinvestment in the rail network on the North's local lines. Newer units are being introduced, and the outmoded and unpopular Pacers have been withdrawn in the region, but local services in the North East will still be operated by class 150 Sprinter units which are equally elderly though slightly more comfortable. It's unlikely that there will be a great change to service levels on routes like the Tyne Valley line, but I hope that better quality class 15
31 Jan 2020
Davey full speech - Progressives must fight on
Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey has today delivered a keynote speech to party members and activists in Manchester ahead of the UK's exit from the EU.
RLD
30 Jan 2020
“Greedy, self-serving and narcissistic” councillors take free theatre tickets away from children in care
Liberal Democrats have hit out at a "new low" in Sunderland politics, after Labour and Conservative councillors changed a plan to axe free theatre tickets for city councillors so that tickets are taken away for children in care as well.
MH
30 Jan 2020
Do not waste opportunity at County Hall say Warwickshire Lib Dems
Liberal Democrats on Warwickshire County Council are calling on the Conservative administration to not waste the opportunity to invest and protect: Climate Change & Adaptation; Families and Young People; Healthy Communities; and Safer Communities.
RLD
30 Jan 2020
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!”
