The Liberal Democrats - the Party for Britain!
Principal Council by-election results from 2017 to now.
23 Apr 2018
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Civil servants' union boss hits back at Rudd over Windrush blame
.Criticism of Home Office staff is attempt to deflect from Theresa May's hostile policies, says FDA chief
RSAP
23 Apr 2018
MP expresses local people’s frustration at ‘shambolic’ Lakes Line service during meeting with Northern
Local MP Tim Farron has told managers at the rail company Northern that passengers on the Lakes Line are choosing to boycott the line because they are so fed up with the poor service.
23 Apr 2018
WATCH: Vince Cable’s speech to Scottish Conference
Here is Vince Cable's speech to Scottish Conference yesterday. He challenged the SNP to back a People's Vote on the Brexit deal,...
THV
23 Apr 2018
My first year as Director for People
It's been just over one year since the Snap General Election was called on my first day as Director for People. It was one heck of a start and it's been a heck of a year. Out of the window immediately went my careful plan for membership development, training for volunteers, online fundraising and candidates. The roadmap to 2020 was suddenly obsolete. It was terrifying, but fast paced and fun.
RPR
23 Apr 2018
Why the Liberal Democrat Campaign for Race Equality (LDCRE) is being launched
At the Liberal Democrat spring conference, members voted to make improving the party's diversity one of our main priorities. Agreeing the principle is, of course, much easier than bringing about the reality.
MPAWTWAE
23 Apr 2018
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!”
