Farron Backs Move To Block Green Energy Cuts

South Lakeland MP Tim Farron has backed an attempt to overturn the government's decision to drastically cut Feed-In Tariffs to solar energy.

The Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Energy and Climate Change Lynne Featherstone has tabled a fatal motion in the House of Lords against the Government cuts to Feed-in Tariffs, which is due to be debated this afternoon.

Feed-in Tariffs help to support the solar industry and encourage companies to invest in solar. However, the government's staggering 65% cuts will shrink the industry by over half its size and put 19,000 jobs at risk nationally, according to the Government's own predictions.

Tim said: "The decision to slash Feed-In Tariffs for solar energy is a short-sighted move by the government which will prove damaging in the long run.

For both environmental and economic reasons, it makes sense to support the solar industry. Environmentally, it is a way of reducing our carbon emissions and producing green energy. From an economic perspective, green energy technology is a growing market and the UK has the opportunity to become a world leader in this sector, yet this will be jeopardised by the government's ideological determination to cut this support.

Here in South Lakeland, there are a number of companies that are involved in the solar energy business which will suffer as a result of these cuts. It is absurd that, so soon after the Paris Agreement at which the UK played a leading role, the government is determined to make cuts which will harm our ability to meet our climate change targets."