Scotland
The mask is slipping in the SNP
The vaccine roll-out appears to be little more than a trickle in West Lothian. Despite weeks of empty rhetoric and talk of...
9 Feb 2021
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
LGBT+LD launches new Fighting Fund
There are countless LGBT+ Councillors and campaigners working for their communities right across the country.
9 Feb 2021
Welcome for News that Government has Dropped Inhumane and Unsafe Yarl's Wood Plans
Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats have welcome the news today from the Home Office that the Government has dropped its plans for unsuitable and inhumane temporary additional accommodation for asylum seekers at Yarl's Wood.
9 Feb 2021
Ward Boundary Review
An electoral review takes place every so often to make sure that electoral equality is achieved and Councillors represent roughly the same number of electors. The last review of Epsom & Ewell was over 20 years ago. The Borough Council makes recommendations based on criteria set by the Boundary Commission, and then embarks upon a public consultation after which there can be changes before final approval by the Commission. Numbers of electors in each ward or area have to include current occupancy plus estimates some five years forward. So the final numbers include things like known development, land availability and housing targets. The number of wards can change, as can the number of councillors which represent them. Ward boundaries themselves might need to be adjusted and the names of them can change. The process has just begun in Epsom & Ewell but it will be a couple of years before any changes actually happen.
9 Feb 2021
Don't stick your head in the Snow - Join Suffolk Liberal Democrats
Don't stick your head in the Snow -
9 Feb 2021
Political discussion a Reminder
Dear {{ salutation }}
KM
9 Feb 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!”
