Energy secretary blames Lib Dem predecessor for solar industry crisis

Amber Rudd said her first job was get a grip on energy spending, but Tory policy has been blamed for closure of Southern Solar

Amber Rudd has blamed a mounting crisis in the solar industry on budget overruns by her Liberal Democrat predecessors that had forced her to slash spending.

Under fire from all sides after a third solar business collapsed in one week, the Conservative energy and climate change secretary insisted on Thursday she was "always concerned about job losses", but still thought solar energy had a great future in Britain.