October is Conference Season for Parliamentarians, and I headed down to Bournemouth to speak up on issues relevant to Bath at the Liberal Democrat Autumn Party Conference.
One of the key issues I have been thinking about recently is bus and rail networks, with the scrapping of HS2 a clear sign that we need a new direction on transport policy in the UK.
At Conference, my motion on transport was adopted as official party policy. It aims to improve bus and rail networks, and to increase the power and resources of local authorities to take decisions on the transport needs in their area.
This is particularly important for my constituency and the surrounding area. Bus services in rural North East Somerset have been pared back by the WECA Mayor, leaving up to 40,000 people without reliable public transport.
My Lib Dem colleagues on B&NES Council are leading a campaign to preserve rural buses. You can sign their petition at https://www.bathnesbuspetition.org.uk.
There were other exciting opportunities ahead for the South West to be found at Conference. The Western Gateway is a pan-regional partnership across Western England and South Wales. I took part in their discussion at the party conference on how we can transform our region into a green energy powerhouse. I was particularly encouraged by their proposals for improving our rail network and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Back in Bath, I met with Craig Jones, CEO of the Royal Osteoporosis Society, to discuss how to improve services for osteoporosis patients.
The Royal Osteoporosis Society advocates for early diagnosis, which could prevent one out of every ten hip fractures annually. This would help relieve the pressure on the NHS, as hip fractures take up one million acute hospital days nationally. The charity believes improved services could save 1,500 fractures across Bath over the next five years.
I visited Curo’s temporary accommodation service which housed 186 people, including 99 children, in 2022-23. They work in partnership with B&NES Council to deliver supported temporary accommodation for families in the local area who have lost their homes.
Homelessness causes enormous hardship. If we can help families when children are young, we can prevent problems down the line. I also met Julian House for an update on their work
supporting vulnerable and at-risk individuals.
The weather is getting colder and energy bills will be rising once again. The Liberal Democrats are the only major party to commit to the triple lock on pensions, supporting the 14,823 pensioners living in Bath.
This would ensure pensions rise in line with inflation, wages or 2.5% – whichever is highest.
The Liberal Democrats brought in the triple lock while in government, lifting 300,000 pensioners out of poverty. Many pensioners in Bath are worried about how to pay the bills as the cost of living continues to rise. I believe they should not pay the price for years of economic chaos under the Conservatives.
