"Given Boris Johnson's dismal performance this morning on Marr it is no wonder he is running scared of Andrew Neil and refusing to be held to account in debates," says Liberal Democrats Leader Jo Swinson.
Building secure homes which are fit for the future is at the heart of the Liberal Democrats' plan for a brighter future. A Liberal Democrat government will tackle the housing crisis by ensuring that 300,000 new homes are built per year, including 100,000 social homes for rent. Alan Bullion, Liberal Democrat Candidate for Rainham and Gillingham said "Liberal Democrats have set out a bold plan to end rough sleeping within five years, spanning social housing, welfare, local authority funding and legal changes. Nobody should have to spend a night sleeping on the streets across our towns. It is the most shameful example of the failure of this Conservative Government to provide a safety net in Medway for those who need it. The Conservatives are sitting on their hands, failing to protect the most vulnerable people in society. They haven't built enough social housing, their benefit cuts have made poverty worse, and they blocked Liberal Democrat efforts to repeal the cruel, Dickensian law that criminalises peop
Time to close Wolverhampton pay gap say Lib Dems Wolverhampton Liberal Democrats have said, if elected, they will fight 'tooth...
Let`s DO something about Plastics Pollution! Councillor Robert Eggleston (leader of the Burgess Hill Town Council) is the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mid Sussex and is very concerned about the huge problems associated with plastics waste and was one of the authors of the plastics pollution motion that became Lib Dem policy at the 2018 Party conference...
A recent report by the the homeless charity 'Shelter' recommends a 20-year programme to deliver 3.1 million more social homes, allowing the benefits of social housing to be offered much more widely - providing both security for those in need and a step up for young families trying to get on and save for their future. Shelter is calling for a stronger voice for tenants, and a new regulator working across social and private renting to protect residents and enforce standards. Alan Bullion, Liberal Democrat Candidate for Rainham and Gillingham said "We can see the impact of the housing crisis everywhere, from the increase in both young families and older people trapped in unaffordable privately rented homes, to the increasing homelessness that scars our society.
Recent NHS figures have revealed that nationally the number of GP practices has fallen to a new record low of 6,867 while the number of qualified GPs has dropped by 339. The Liberal Democrats have warned that the Conservative Party's failure to meet its promise to address the shortfall in GPs has left the country poorly equipped to deal with the upcoming winter crisis. In Kent and Medway all clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have lower numbers of GPs than the national average - For more information: https://kentandmedway.nhs.uk/latest-news/gp-practices-in-kent-and-medway/ Graham Colley, Liberal Democrat candidate for Rochester and Strood said: "People across Medway are struggling to get appointments and will be appalled to see the number of GPs and practices continuing to fall. The Conservatives have completely failed to keep their promise to increase the number of GPs and have now plucked an even greater number out of the air. "People depend on GP practices for their front-line care. Both patients and t
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!”
