Labor’s Environment Secretary Steve Reid met with water companies last week to demand changes, but too many companies are already breaking the law by illegally discharging raw sewage into streams, rivers and the sea. There’s no denying that the current laws are insufficient, and harshly chastising polluters won’t fix the problem.
The Environment Agency’s budget has been bloated by 14 years of Conservative spending cuts and it is no longer able to protect our rivers from such egregious illegal activity. I call on the Government to restore the Environment Agency’s budget and put it to good use, giving it the power to enforce the rules so that polluters pay the price, not people and the planet.
A landmark Supreme Court decision last week paved the way for water companies to be sued for illegal discharges, upending the idea that the water industry could pollute rivers and streams with impunity.
What this means for water companies already on the brink of bankruptcy remains to be seen, but what is clear is that the 30-year-old attempt to privatize water has been a complete failure.
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A Labour government must show courage on this issue by renationalising the water companies – this is the only sensible way to end dividends to shareholders, fix our crumbling water infrastructure and end this sewerage scandal for good.
It was disappointing not to see any specific announcements on agriculture and land management, as agriculture has a major role to play in addressing the climate and ecological emergency.
Pollution from agriculture has a significant impact on rural areas, such as my constituency, North Herefordshire. It is a major driver of the deterioration of rural water quality.
We need to help farmers transition to more natural farming methods – a win-win approach that produces good food, creates skilled jobs and protects the environment.
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Many farmers themselves are already leading the way in this effort — I have several award-winning regenerative agriculture farmers in my own district — and sustainable agriculture incentives are a step in the right direction, but more work needs to be done.
A Labour government must commit to significantly increasing support for farmers so they can fulfil their potential in producing food and protecting nature in the UK.
Labour’s King Speech was a positive first step in the right direction, but there is still much more to be done and it is becoming increasingly urgent.
We, the four Greens, will of course work constructively with the Labour Government wherever we can, and we will do all we can to encourage Labour to do better and take bolder action on climate change and protecting nature.
Each of our four Greens members was elected to be a voice for local communities, the natural world and future generations.
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Ellie Chowns is a UK Green Party MP and a former Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands.
