Liberal Democrats have slammed the Conservative MP for Wycombe after a Private Members’ Bill to tackle fuel poverty, officially supported by his party, fell because too few Conservative MPs turned up to vote the bill through.
The Fuel Poverty Bill, introduced by Liberal Democrat MP David Heath, proposed steps to make homes more energy-efficient. The Bill would have forced energy companies to offer their lowest tariffs to the most vulnerable households, but was rejected in its second reading in the House of Commons this afternoon. It received 89 votes for and two votes against – but needed 100 votes to proceed. The MP for Wycombe failed to turn up alongside nine out of ten of his Conservative colleagues – in spite of his party ‘officially’ backing the Bill. The Labour Government officially opposed the Bill.
Steve Guy said:
The inaction of Paul Goodman and his Tory colleagues has cost vulnerable constituents the chance of cheaper energy bills.
People in Wycombe should not have to face a choice between heating and eating. The Labour Government has done far too little in twelve years to tackle this.
Wycombe needs a Member of Parliament who will fight for local people – and turn up and vote on the issues that matter. I am disappointed that Paul Goodman and his colleagues failed to turn up when it mattered to his most vulnerable constituents.
45 Liberal Democrat MPs turned up to back the bill. Only 20 Conservative MPs – one in ten of their number in Parliament – voted for the Bill on Friday, in spite of so-called ‘official’ Conservative support.
The Bill is backed by groups including:
Age Concern
* Help the Aged
* Child Poverty Action Group
* Disability Alliance
* Friends of the Earth
* Centre for Sustainable Energy
* Sustainable Energy Partnership
* UNISON
A full breakdown of fuel poverty figures by constituency can be found at: http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/en/Default.aspx?n1=30&n2=406. According to their figures some 5,834 households in Wycombe are in fuel poverty.
This sorry tale neatly encapsulates the hypocrisy and general shabby dealings of Labour and Conservative politicians – firstly that Labour (which once upon a time at least gave lip service to the concept of supporting the most disadvantaged in society) should be directly OPPOSING a Bill to tackle fuel poverty! – and secondly that the Conservatives should say one thing and then largely do another! Once again, it is the Liberal Democrats who show the way the political life of the nation COULD and SHOULD be governed, who have the right policies, who HAVE a consistent ‘moral compass’, and who can be counted upon to do what they say they will do.