All of the 18 Liberal Democrat Councillors on the Conservative-run Dacorum Borough Council have sent an Open Letter to the Rt Hon Sir Mike Penning MP for Hemel Hempstead and to Gagan Mohindra MP for South West Hertfordshire.
All of the 18 Liberal Democrat Councillors on the Conservative-run Dacorum Borough Council have sent an Open Letter to the Rt Hon Sir Mike Penning MP for Hemel Hempstead and to Gagan Mohindra MP for South West Hertfordshire.
Whilst it may seem hard to reconcile, the statement that having a deal is both good and bad when placed in their proper context. On one hand, it is "good news" because, with time rapidly running out, the only alternative was the economic catastrophe of leaving the European Union without a trade deal. There are many businesses who will be breathing a sigh of relief. However, when measured against remaining a member of the EU, Brexit is still a monumental act of national self-harm that will blight the UK economy and the lives of its citizens for years to come. The deal itself is threadbare a shadow of what we had. Despite much talk from Johnson and co (including remember SW Wiltshire's own vote leave supporting MP Andrew Murrison) about the ability of the UK to strike its own trade deals, we wait to hear news of any such agreement that delivers better terms than those enjoyed by EU member states. Given Brexit Britain's pressing need for deals, particularly with the US, and the size of its economy re
Well, 2020 has been something! A year that many of us will not remember fondly. However, 2021 is a new year and a new start, and it certainly is for Liberal Democrats here in Maldon.
After the Christmas celebrations are over and all the decorations are down, if you cannot plant your real Christmas tree in the garden, you can recycle it at one of a number of drop-off sites around Bedford Borough.
Lambeth Liberal Democrats
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!”
