At their Autumn Conference this weekend, the Liberal Democrats have agreed proposals that would see the BBC licence fee level set independently next year after government cuts forced the BBC to end free TV licences for most over-75s.
Following a question from the Lib Dems, Surrey County Council has confirmed that the cost of its failed bid to become a unitary authority was just under £250,000.
"Boris Johnson must start putting the nation first, rather than sacrificing everything and anything in his ideological pursuit of Brexit. His efforts will drag the country's reputation through the mud by breaking international law," says Cllr Aidan King, who was a Liberal Democrats candidate for the North East in the 2019 European Parliament elections.
This is a defining moment in British Democracy, when the House of Commons voted in favour of passing the Internal Market Bill. It gives ministers the right to unilaterally rewrite parts of the withdrawal agreement with the EU, could break international law and jeopardise the Good Friday Agreement. Even the international outcry, the US promise to withhold a trade agreement and the difficulties this will pose with the EU didn't stop them, despite some having misgivings most of them trooped through, though a few including former Prime Minster Theresa May blustered and then abstained, (would have been better to vote against it). Never thought we'd say that she'd be better than the current PM, but there it. Remember this is the Withdrawal Agreement that the Prime Minister himself fought for, illegally prorogued parliament for, declared to the nation that it was a great deal and yet here we are just a few months after all that fuss. And South West Wiltshire's MP, Andrew Murrison well, I sure you'll be del
After the 2019 Local Elections Guildford Borough Council was in new territory. The electorate returned a council with a delicate power balance, with
The Liberal Democrats have called for the "forgotten" roads of Gloucester city centre to be repaired by the county council.
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!”
