Farron calls for Morecambe Bay tidal lagoon

In a speech today at an event hosted by Policy Exchange, South Lakes MP Tim Farron will call for a tidal lagoon in Morecambe Bay, as part of a green industrial revolution to power the economy of the future.

In Tim's speech, he will call for the UK to lead the world in new green technology, saying "The low carbon and no carbon economy will be underpinned and driven by industries which will be worth trillions globally in the next few decades. It is a new industrial revolution. We can do as the Victorians did and lead it, prosper from it, and stand tall across the globe as a consequence."

He will also criticise the government for "hiking up business rates on solar panels by eight times, which will damage the solar industry across the UK" and "looking backwards to fossil fuels, giving the green light to fracking instead of looking to the future". He will warn that "The cheap energy future is low carbon and no carbon. Failing to invest now will cost us more in the future."

Tim will set out the Liberal Democrat alternative, including a "sweeping programme of investment and reform on a level never seen before" to achieve a "bold vision of reducing net emissions by 100% by 2050".

This will include "a commitment to a whole programme of tidal lagoons on Britain's shores" including one at Morecambe Bay.

A report commissioned by the government and published in January this year suggested that a Morecambe Bay Tidal Lagoon could produce up to 5GW of electricity.

Tim said: "As a country, we urgently need to take bold action to tackle climate change and to create green ways of meeting our energy needs. A tidal lagoon in Morecambe Bay would be an important part of this.

"Instead of cutting investment in renewables, the government should be looking to invest in ambitious projects like this one. It would not only be a significant source of renewable energy, it would also help to ensure that British companies remain at the forefront of this growing sector and lead the world in green technology.

"Investing in renewable energy is investing in our future, and in the planet that our children and grandchildren will inherit."