Young Liberals
Postcards from YL 2: Senegal
Katharine Macy (they/them) joined the Young Liberals Delegation to the The International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY)...
KM
12 Aug 2022
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Southwark Liberal Democrats Welcome Bike Hire Extension Win
The Southwark Liberal Democrats welcomed a bike hire extension campaign win on news of more docking stations on Friday.
12 Aug 2022
National Allotments Week: Lib Dems champion green spaces
During National Allotments Week, Newnham Liberal Democrat Councillors Hilde Hendrickx and Jake Sampson speak about the importance of the natural environment and green spaces across the Borough.
12 Aug 2022
Public Service.
Britain is in trouble. The economy is tanking, the health system is collapsing, the cost of living crisis is impacting us all but particularly the most vulnerable. Meanwhile around the corner is the existential crisis of climate change. This wonderful weather and drought we are enjoying are not the fruits of God's bounty but the results of humanity's lack of respect for nature. The government, our government, whose ministers are paid for by our hard earned taxes, are taking it all particularly calmly. Some would say they are asleep at helm of the ship of state. This could be taken as a sign of good old British pluck in adversity, but we know they are just incompetent and taking us for granted. The Prime Minister and Chancellor are off on holiday whilst the pretenders for the slippery throne make meaningless promises to each other around the country which will be discarded once they get to power. Ask yourself if they can be trusted? They were both members of Johnson's cabinet of lightweights. People chosen not
LGLDPSNWH
12 Aug 2022
‘Make sure you can vote’ urges Bedford Borough Council
The Annual Canvass of households, to update the Electoral Register, is now live. Each year we have to, by law, find out who is eligible to register to vote.
12 Aug 2022
Council confirms changes to parking charges from 1 September
Following a public consultation, Wiltshire Council has confirmed changes to some parking charges in the county will begin from 1 September.
WC
12 Aug 2022
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!”
