Water quality going down the drain under the Tories
In 2023 there were 464,056 dumping incidents in total (up from 301,091 in 2022), wreaking havoc on the environment, and endangering wildlife and public health.
Last year, 292 Tory MPs voted to block action on sewage dumping with devastating consequences. Despite repeated Liberal Democrat warnings, this Conservative Government continues to allow water companies to pump our waterways full of sewage, with no end in sight.
Harry Boparai, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Spelthorne said:
"I can remember when the Thames was clean and safe to swim in. Then the water companies were privatised, and funds were creamed off for share dividends and directors' bonuses. I support Ed Davey's calls for a "national environmental emergency to be declared" as clean water is a necessity of life.”
Spelthorne’s Tory MP, Kwasi Kwarteng, has consistently voted against improvements to environmental water quality, but wasn’t even present for the latest vote on sewage dumping. He has also repeatedly voted against measures to improve air quality, biodiversity, climate change and environmental protection. But this is not unique to Mr Kwarteng; all Tory MPs vote like this. The Conservatives in government have demonstrated that they simply do not care about our environment.
We need urgent action to tackle pollution, not a Government that facilitates it.
The water industry must be reformed so profit is no longer put above environmental goals, something the Liberal Democrats have been consistently fighting for.
From more robust regulation to reforming water companies, read about our plans to tackle this environmental crisis in our latest policy passed at Spring Conference here: