Horizon: Government must now extend cooperation to other schemes
Reacting to the news that the UK will rejoin the Horizon programme, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesperson Layla Moran MP said:
7 Sep 2023
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Revealed: 36 crumbling schools in Conservative Ministers’ seats
There are 36 crumbling schools in Conservative Ministers’ seats, including 13 in the constituencies of Cabinet Ministers, the Liberal Democrats have indentified.
7 Sep 2023
Orcadian Column
Orcadian Column, 7 September 2023
During its construction, the Scottish Parliament building attracted more than its fair share of criticism. For all the delays and cost overruns, however, thankfully the project never resorted to using ‘flaky concrete’.
7 Sep 2023
Parent power prevails: Lib Dems react to new childcare facility in Wells
Responding to the news that parent power has prevailed, allowing a new childcare facility in Wells-next-the-Sea, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for North Norfolk, Steffan Aquarone, said:
7 Sep 2023
CORNWALL-ISSUES
Ministerial Musical Chairs
It’s clear that the problems with South East Cornwall's roads, schools and homes won’t improve until we have a more stable Government and a more effective MP. For the sake of the country, Rishi Sunak should call a General Election now!
7 Sep 2023
LONGER-TERM ANSWERS TO THE COUNCIL'S FINANCIAL CHALLENGES
Slough, Woking, Thurrock, Kent, Birmingham - these are just a few of the councils, of all political colours, in severe financial difficulties at present. The list grows by the week.
6 Sep 2023
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!”
