Chesterfield Labour members 'helped Liberal Democrats' ahead of EU elections
Labour members and supporters in Chesterfield allegedly delivered leaflets to help the Liberal Democrats ahead of the EU elections last week.
MB
30 May 2019
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Ed Davey launches campaign to lead Lib Dems
Ed Davey has launched his campaign to be Lib Dem Leader in a video posted on Twitter.
30 May 2019
From Catherine Bearder MEP, Leader of the Lib Dem Group at the European Parliament
Wow! What a few days it has been. I wanted to write you a little message from Brussels about the incredible European election last Thursday and how we can build on from our stellar result. First of all can I just say a huge, huge thank you to all of you. In just three weeks, our activists put in a marathon effort to deliver millions of leaflets, bang in 'Stop Brexit' and 'Bollocks to Brexit' stakeboards and knock on thousands of doors (and this was on the back of an enormous effort to get all those wonderful councillors elected!).
CBMEP
30 May 2019
Flying High
Summer must be coming, because the Bedford International Kite Festival has come around again. It's taking place this Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd June in Russell Park, and this year in addition to the all of the usual attractions at this free event there's a lot more going on besides.
30 May 2019
Schools remaining with councils, more likely to keep a good or outstanding Ofsted rating
SCHOOLS STAYING WITH THEIR COUNCIL MORE LIKELY
30 May 2019
101 phone charges to be scrapped
The Home Office has today announced that the charge for calling the police non-emergency number is to be scrapped next year.
OPCC
29 May 2019
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!”
