Ed Davey is elected Leader of the Lib Dems
I'd like to start by thanking my friend Layla Moran. Layla, you fought a passionate campaign, full of energy.
EN
27 Aug 2020
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Open Letter to our New Leader
Dear Ed
KM
27 Aug 2020
Lib Dems elect Ed Davey as new Party Leader
Ed Davey elected as new Lib Dem Leader
27 Aug 2020
Ed Davey elected new Liberal Democrat Leader
Ed Davey MP was elected leader of the Liberal Democrats. The result of the election in which all members had a vote was announced at 11:30 today. In his acceptance speach he praised Layla Morgan's passionate campaign and he sain, "Her energy has inspired many people and I look forward to her playing a big role in my team."
27 Aug 2020
Ed Davey elected Lib Dem Leader
Ed Davey has today been elected as the new leader of the Liberal Democrats. Ed Davey, the MP for Kingston and Surbiton, won the leadership election this morning, receiving 42,756 votes. In his acceptance speech he announced his plans to begin rebuilding the party to national relevance and launched a national listening project, stating that for the Party "it is time to start listening". Speaking at the declaration today, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: "I'm determined our Party backs a Britain that works with other countries across the world for peace and prosperity. But it is my love of our party that makes me recognise that we have to change. "We have to wake up and smell the coffee. Nationally, our party has lost touch with too many voters. "Yes, we are powerful advocates locally. Our campaigners listen to local people, work hard for communities and deliver results. "But at the national level, we have to face the facts of three disappointing general election
DS
27 Aug 2020
Solution in sight: Trowbridge Town Park public toilets
The controversial and long running saga of the Trowbridge Town Park public toilets should be on its way to being resolved at next weeks town council meeting.
27 Aug 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!”
