Former Lib Dem Mayor stands down from Council
https://mklibdems.focusteam.org.uk/files/2018/04/DE-Mayor.jpg Former Lib Dem Mayor Derek Eastman stands down from MK Council. ...
DMC
10 Apr 2018
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Retail park update - water works completed, progress on ALDI, look out for new website...
The Liberal Democrats are the only party to have been given a tour of the site of the new St Michael's Retail Park on the Harrow Way. The on-site project manager, from Bowmer & Kirkland, explained that all of the underground water drainage and sewage pipework has now been completed. The steelwork for the new ALDI store is also now finished, and the roof and walls will be completed early in May, making the building watertight. The plan is to hand over the building to ALDI in July, ahead of the store opening in October. Work on the remaining units is planned to be completed for opening by early December. The developers intend to launch an information website in a few weeks' time so that you can keep up to date with the development and store opening dates. Look out for more information soon...
10 Apr 2018
Birmingham Liberal Democrat manifesto 2018 – A cleaner, greener and safer city. The change that Birmingham needs to make it a city fit for the world to visit.
Birmingham risks becoming a city of grime and crime if it does not make significant changes, the Liberal Democrats warn today.
10 Apr 2018
REVEALED: Surrey's £298 MILLION commercial property portfolio delivers zero income for county council services
Liberal Democrat county councillors have expressed their concern after it was revealed that Surrey County Council has not spent any of the income derived from its £298 million commercial property portfolio on council services. Previously, the Conservative Cabinet Member for Property & Business Services stated that: "We also have an additional need to generate an income from our strategy if we are to have any hope of raising enough money to fund the services our residents need."
10 Apr 2018
Benchmarking the Lib Dem local election performance
The first Thursday in May sees a big round of local elections across England (along with a few extra by-elections scheduled for that day). Most of the seats up for election were last fought four years ago, which means there will be rich pickings for anyone wanting to talk up or talk down any party. That's because you can legitimately argue over whether the best comparisons are with last year (the last big round of locals) or with four years ago (the last time most of these seats were fought). Add to that the massive decline in Ukip over the last four years, giving scope for all parties to hope to gain votes or seats from them, and it's even possible every major party will be able to talk about being a winner.
MPAWTWAE
10 Apr 2018
Could a new centrist party plug the gap in British politics? | Peter Kellner
Don't assume it's impossible. The forces that worked against new parties in the past could be overcome
PK
10 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!”
