North West Region spring conference is in Liverpool this Saturday. Speakers include Lord Roberts of Llandudno, Lord Storey of Childwall, Alisha Lewis, Cllr Richard Kemp and Lib Dem candidate in the byelection that never was Jackie Pearcey.
The council is looking for people to provide accommodation, care and support to vulnerable adults.
Former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron is calling on England to boycott the World Cup if FIFA fail to withdraw it from Russia.
Ahead of the Chancellor's Spring Statement, I'm calling on the government to reverse cuts to the Universal Credit Work Allowance, writes Stephen Lloyd MP.
As of next month, anyone wishing to use one of Wiltshire's Household Recycling Centres may be asked to provide proof of entitlement before being allowed in.
A pro EU Action Day is going to be held in Glossop on Saturday 17th March. The action day will be running from 10 am to 2 pm, based out of the market arcade on High Street West in the centre of Glossop opposite Norfolk Square. If you can't make the full four hours don't worry as any and all help, even just for a little while, is most welcome from the event organisers which include members of a number of different political parties and some with no political affiliation at all. This is very much a cross party/no party approach!
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!”
