Future UK-EU relations: Party conference policy proposal
A policy proposal to the Party's Spring Conference on 19-21 March was submitted today and is copied below. Publication here is...
MJ
6 Jan 2021
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Lib Dems back high standards for British food and farmers
Liberal Democrat Lords helped defeat the Government by backing a cross-party amendment to the Trade Bill ensuring that future trade agreements meet the UK's high standards of animal welfare and the environment.
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What have your Liberal Democrat Councillors done for you?
Despite not having a majority on Mid Devon District council, we've successfully forced the larger conservative group to implement some of our policies.
LJBH
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New Spelthorne Liberal Democrats Executive
At the recent combined Runnymede and Spelthorne AGM, the motion to separate into two separate parties - Runnymede and Spelthorne - was passed. Subsequently, officers were elected for the Spelthorne Liberal Democrats as follows:
6 Jan 2021
Case Proven: We really do need to tackle air pollution
Last month I wrote about the case of Ella Kissi-Debrah and the fact that a South London coroner's court was holding an inquest into the death of the nine-year-old. As a reminder this was a potential landmark legal case, a coroner was being asked to rule that air pollution caused the death from an acute asthma attack. This finding would make legal history. It has never been identified as a cause of death before in the UK and this is thought to be the first case of its kind in the world. Lewisham Council, the mayor of London and government gave evidence about their knowledge of the levels of toxic air around where Ella lived, the health impacts and what was being done to reduce the pollution. Prior to the inquest It had been decided that article 2 - the right to life - of the Human Rights Act, which scrutinises the role of public bodies in a person's death, apply to the hearing.
6 Jan 2021
James Sandbach selected as Lib Dems Police & Crime Commissioner candidate for Suffolk
Suffolk Lib Dems select James Sandbach to contest Police & Crime Commissioner election in May
6 Jan 2021
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!”
