Labour’s Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Reed visited Colchester on Friday [14 June] to meet with local rowers to discuss Labour’s plans to clean up our rivers.
Meeting with a group of rowers and open water swimmers from Wivenhoe, Steve and Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Colchester, Pam Cox, spoke about how Britain’s waterways have become an open sewer thanks to the Tories’ hands-off approach.
At just one point along the River Colne, near where a number of local rowing clubs meet in Wivenhoe, the storm sewer overflowed 28 times in 2023 pumping out sewage into the river for 180 hours in total.
Steve spoke to Labour’s plan to stop sewage polluting our rivers and seas and Labour will put the water companies under special measures to clean up our waters. Under Labour’s tough plans, Ofwat could have blocked six out of nine water bosses’ bonuses last year because of severe levels of illegal pollution.
Labour’s plan includes:
- Giving the water regulator powers to block the payment of any bonuses until water bosses have cleaned up their filth. We don’t need the dither and delay of a consultation; we need immediate action
- Water bosses who oversee repeated law-breaking will face criminal charges
- Ending self-monitoring and forcing all companies to monitor every single water outlet under independent supervision so companies can no longer cover up illegal sewage dumping
- Introducing severe and automatic fines that water companies can’t afford to ignore for illegal sewage discharges
During his visit to Colchester, Labour Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, said:
“The Conservatives just folded their arms and looked the other way while water companies pumped a tidal wave of raw sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas – putting lives at risk.
“The next Labour government will put the water companies under special measures until our water is safe again.
“We will give the regulator tough new powers to make law-breaking water bosses face criminal charges and ban the payment of their multi-million pound bonuses until they clean up their toxic filth.”
Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Colchester, Pam Cox said:
“Water bosses responsible for this failure have awarded themselves over £25 million in bonuses and incentives since the last election.
“The Conservative sewage crisis is trashing our environment, damaging tourism and putting people’s health at risk.
“Labour’s plan will stop the undeserved bonuses, tackle failing water companies, and protect Essex’s beautiful coastline and rivers.”