LibDems ask: 'Where were Westminster's MPs for 'warm homes' vote?' (Westminster and City of London Liberal Democrats)

Westminster and City of London Liberal Democrats <info@westminsterlibdems.org.uk>

LibDems ask: 'Where were Westminster's MPs for 'warm homes' vote?'

March 25, 2009 8:06 PM

Naomi Smith, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for the Cities of London and Westminster

LibDem campaigner Naomi Smith supports help to keep homes warm - to help those in need and to reduce energy waste

Westminster Liberal Democrats are asking where local MPs Mark Field and Karen Buck were last Friday when MPs voted on a new parliamentary bill aimed at ending fuel poverty.

The Bill was just 11 votes short of the number it needed to make progress.

Just one in 10 Conservative MPs and one in 14 Labour MPs were in Parliament to support the Bill. Nearly three-quarters of LibDems were present but it was not enough to stop the Government blocking the proposed new law, including all of London's eight LibDem MPs.

Naomi Smith, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for the Cities of London and Westminster, said, "The Fuel Poverty Bill was 'talked out' by the Government on Friday because not enough MPs turned up to support it. It needed 100 MPs to support it, but it only got 89.

"This is a crying shame. With millions of people across Britain struggling to afford to heat their homes, this Bill is desperately needed.

"With such a narrow margin of failure it is really disappointing that our local MPs Mark Field and Karen Buck were not in Parliament to support this important Bill.

"The Bill, which is being proposed by Liberal Democrat MP David Heath, would deliver a massive home insulation programme which would halve the energy needed to heat the average home. And it would end the scandal of those who use pre-pay meters - generally the least well-off - paying higher rates for their gas and electricity."

It would particularly help those households said to be in 'fuel poverty', which means that the people living there need to spend more than 10% of all their income on fuel to keep them home warm.

Naomi continued, "Our best hope now is to put as much pressure as possible on the Government to change their minds and support the Bill. Without government support I am afraid it looks doomed."

Campaign groups such as Age Concern have condemned the Government for blocking the Bill's progress. Help the Aged have said that, "Millions of older people… will be devastated and dismayed by this result."