Labour is cleaning up our polluted waterways

For years, Britain’s rivers, lakes, and coastlines have suffered under the weight of environmental neglect. Under Conservative leadership, the country witnessed an alarming surge in sewage discharges—raw waste spilling into our open spaces, rivers, and seas. This wasn’t just a failure of oversight; it was a blatant abuse of our precious natural environment.

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Two rivers at the heart of our community, the River Calder and the River Aire, have become tragic symbols of this crisis.

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Shockingly, they were ranked the second and third most polluted rivers in the entire country. In 2022 alone, there were 1,316 discharges of raw sewage into our waterways, lasting a staggering 5,816 hours—the equivalent of eight continuous months of pollution. Since 2016, British waters have endured the equivalent of 1,276 years’ worth of sewage dumping.

But change is on the horizon.

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The Labour government is taking decisive action to reverse this environmental catastrophe. At the forefront of this effort is the newly introduced Water (Special Measures) Act—a bold piece of legislation designed to hold water companies accountable and restore the health of our waterways.

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This landmark act delivers on Labour’s promise to clean up our rivers, lakes, and seas by:

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• Blocking bonuses for executives whose companies pollute our waterways.

• Bringing criminal charges against persistent offenders.

• Enabling automatic and severe penalties for environmental violations.

• Mandating real-time monitoring of every sewage outlet across the country.

These measures mark a turning point in how the water industry is regulated. No longer will polluters operate with impunity. Instead, they will face real consequences for failing to protect the environment and the communities that depend on it.

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But this is just the beginning. The government has signaled that broader, transformative reforms are on the way—changes that will reshape the entire water sector and restore public trust in an industry that has too often put profits before people and the planet.

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The tide is turning. With strong legislation and a renewed commitment to environmental stewardship, Britain’s rivers and seas can once again become places of beauty, biodiversity, and pride.

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