Green electricity: PM full of "bombast and bluster", say Lib Dems

The Liberal Democrats have called out Boris Johnson for being full of “bombast and bluster” on green electricity, pointing to the Government’s poor record on renewables.

The Prime Minister plans to use his keynote speech at the Conservative Party conference to announce that all of Britain's electricity will come from renewable sources by 2035.

But a recent analysis by the Liberal Democrats found that UK renewables growth is actually at its slowest rate since 2010. The UK also recently fired up old coal power plants to meet the nation’s electricity demand, as gas prices have soared.

Wera Hobhouse MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Climate Emergency and Energy, said:

“Yet again this Government is guilty of chasing headlines whilst failing to take the necessary action to achieve what they claim they can.

“The Conservatives have utterly neglected the UK renewables industry to the point where coal power stations are being fired up. They need to come clean on a firm end date to fossil fuel use in the energy sector, but Boris Johnson studiously avoids this topic.

“It’s insulting that the Prime Minister is talking a good game on green electricity whilst families are left feeling the pinch this winter, thanks in no small part to the UK’s overreliance on gas and Government inaction on renewables.

“Liberal Democrats nearly quadrupled renewable energy in government, but the Tories have since dropped so many balls on this they could fill a children’s crèche.

“If we’re to make any significant progress towards meeting these green ambitions, we need serious investment in renewable energy - not a Prime Minister full of bombast and bluster and a Government dragging our green record through the mud.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor

BEIS Energy Trends: UK Renewables (tables available here).

UK fires up coal power plant as gas prices soar

The Liberal Democrats in government nearly quadrupled renewable energy across the UK from 2010 to 2015.

Table - Total renewable energy capacity over time