LORD David Cameron paid a visit to Somerset while on the election campaign trail and emphasised the Conservatives' "commitment to accelerating the roll-out of renewables".

The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs visited The Lamb Inn in Axbridge on Wednesday, June 19. He was accompanied by Wells and Mendip Hills' Conservative Parliamentary candidate Meg Powell-Chandler. 

Lord Cameron said: "Our manifesto commits to working with industry to deliver existing projects at Hinkley Point. The new gigafactory is also clearly a big opportunity for North Somerset. 

"Half of our electricity now comes from renewables, which is a great achievement. We've made real progress since 2010. When Labour were last in power, only 7 per cent of our electricity came from renewables. 

"We've committed to accelerating the roll-out of renewables, trebling our offshore wind capacity, scaling up nuclear power, and building the first two carbon capture and storage clusters.

"The UK is the first major economy to get halfway to net zero, and we have done it while growing our economy by 80 per cent."

Asked if he was surprised that James Heappey withdrew as the Wells and Mendip Hills Conservative candidate, Lord Cameron said: "That’s obviously a decision for him. He’s been a very strong MP and someone I’ve worked closely with on defence issues.

"But I think he stood down for family reasons and to pursue another career, which is perfectly understandable."

He added that Heappey's replacement, Meg Powell-Chandler, was "full of energy".

Lord Cameron said: "She’s [Powell-Chandler] someone I know well because she used to prepare me for Prime Minister's Questions each week and she did a brilliant job."

Parliamentary candidates standing for the Wells and Mendip Hills seat are: Independent Craig Clarke, Reform UK Helen Hims, Labour Joe Joseph, Independent Abi McGuire, Liberal Democrat Tessa Munt, Conservative Meg Powell-Chandler, and Green Party Peter Welsh.