With the General Election looming on July 5th, it may be worth reading about what the main political parties in the UK intend to do to clean up our waterways after years of continuous and unacceptable pollution incidents. We have surmised the main proposals of how each party intends to clean up our rivers and what will happen if water companies breach these guidelines...
Labour
Put failing utility companies under special measures to clean up our water resources.
Give regulators new powers to block the payment of bonuses to executives of companies that pollute our waterways, and bring criminal charges against persistent law breakers.
Impose automatic and severe fines for wrongdoing, and ensure ‘independent monitoring of every outlet.’
Conservatives
Work with the regulator to further hold water companies to account, including banning executive bonuses if a company has committed a serious criminal breach, building on legislation for unlimited fines.
Extend the £50 water rebate given to those in the South West across the rest of the country.
Use fines from water companies toinvest in river restoration projects, including linking up thriving habitats to multiply the benefits for wildlife and water quality.
Liberal Democrats
Seek an end the sewage scandal by transforming water companies into public benefit companies, banning bonuses for bosses of water utility companies until discharges and leaks end, and replacing OFWAT with a new regulator with new powers to prevent sewage dumping.
Strengthen the Office for Environmental Protection and provide more funding to the EA and Natural England to help protect our environment and enforce environmental laws.
Green Party
Introduce a new Rights of Nature Act, giving rights to ecosystems and species, in order to create more enforceable environment protections, whilst taking the water companies back into public ownership.
Extend people’s access to green space and waterways close to where they live by introducing a new English Right to Roam Act.
Set aside 30 per cent of our land and seas by 2030 in which nature will receive the highest priority and protection.
Reform UK
No commitments to tackle sewage pollution, but say they will ‘protect country sports, as these increase investment and help conservation of our environment, and boost rural jobs and local economies.’
