On the 23rd of November, during her speech on the Autumn Statement, Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, spoke of the government’s failure to invest in measures to tackle climate change. 

Wera Hobhouse noted that the government had missed an economic opportunity for growth by failing to include measures to tackle climate change and reach net zero in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement. She argued that the government were ignoring the billions of pounds worth of investment that could be encouraged by the green transition. Instead of following in the footsteps of our international partners, who plan to accrue $670 billion of green investment from measures such as the US Inflation Reduction Act and the Green Industrial Plan, the UK is lagging far behind. 

Mrs Hobhouse also said that there was nothing in the Autumn Statement to support people from Bath, and across the country, with skyrocketing energy bills. She recommended that the government implement a social tariff to help vulnerable customers pay for their bills, as well as ensuring that the Warm Home Discount was doubled to £300. 

The MP for Bath recognised that local authorities were best placed to deliver net zero projects for the local community, rather than having a centralised, lengthy delivery process. She said that delays over the implementation of these vital projects were allowing the government time to U-turn on their climate commitments. 

Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, commented: “The Government are in denial over the climate emergency. They are failing to admit that reaching net zero is as much an opportunity as it is a necessity.

“While the UK dithers over the green transition, our international partners are recognising the advantages of green investment and racing ahead. We need a Government with the political courage to treat climate change with the urgency it demands.”