MPs from the Labour and Conservative parties failed to turn up last Friday, as the Fuel Poverty Bill was talked out of the House by the Government.

Bath MP Don Foster was one of 89 MPs that backed the Bill, but the required number of parliamentarians did not take part in the vote. The government were set on blocking the bill despite calls to progress the Bill from members of different political parties. Don said,:

With increasing numbers of people in fuel poverty, this Bill would have seen real action taken to reduce heating costs for many people – here in Bath we have learnt that up to 16% of residents are in fuel poverty.

This Bill could have offered so much to so many people across the country. By regenerating the building trade we could have kick starting the economy. By relieving hardship, we could have saved thousands of lives every year. By cutting our energy use, we could have begun to seriously tackle climate change.