Burnham-On-Sea’s former MP has attacked Labour and the Conservatives after a bid to halt cuts to solar subsidies was rejected.
Tessa Munt, the Liberal Democrat MP for the Burnham area from 2010-2015, said: “Last week, Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party failed to support a Liberal Democrat push in the House of Lords to block devastating cuts to solar subsidies.”
“The Lib Dems were the only party to try and block the bid, tabling a ‘fatal motion’ which would have done exactly what is says on the tin, killed the plans to cut 65% of solar funding.”
“Thousands of solar installations, including those planned by social housing landlords, have been cancelled or put on hold as a result of these short-sighted Tory cuts.”
She continued: “Furthermore, according to the Tories’ own impact assessment, between 9,700 and 18,700 jobs in the industry could be lost over the next two years as a result of the change.”
“No one should be surprised by the Conservatives’ cuts which will cost people dearly; they pocketed millions of pounds from the big energy companies who feel threatened by renewable energy – which literally puts power back into ordinary people’s hands – before the election. Now it’s payback time.”
“The big energy companies put pressure on the Conservatives to attack the renewable industry so they can maintain their grip on our energy supplies, and thereby control the price we pay for electricity. But what’s really disappointing is that despite Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s attack on David Cameron for the cuts, his party chose not to join the Lib Dems in voting the cuts down.”
But the Government’s Energy Secretary Amber Rudd has defended the cuts, saying: “We have to get the balance right and I am clear that subsidies should be temporary, not part of a permanent business model.”
“When the cost of technologies come down, so should the consumer-funded support.”
