Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan has backed Labour’s tough new plans to clean up our waters.
The City MP has made the issue a top priority following frequent and shocking levels of raw sewage pumping into areas like Langstone Harbour.
Data from the Rivers Trust showed that sewage had been discharged into the City’s natural environment for around 950 hours in the last year alone.
Announced at the party’s annual conference in Liverpool, Labour’s plan includes:
- Introduce a legally binding target to end 90% of sewage discharges by 2030
- Mandatory monitoring of sewage outlets, automatic fines for discharges and a penalty charge for all discharge points failing to meet monitoring requirements
- Give the Environment Agency the power to enforce the rules by strengthening guidance
- Strike off company directors who are persistent offenders and enforcing legal and financial sanctions up to and including prison sentences
Labour’s robust plans would mean that Southern Water, who have been one of the worst polluters of any water company, would be forced to clean up their act and invest in a sewage system that’s fit for the future.
In a further development, Mr Morgan has written to the new Environment Secretary, Ranil Jayawardena, demanding answers over whether Southern Water has paid its £90m fine for discharges and calling for the money to be ringfenced to pay for better sewage infrastructure.
Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan said:
“Sewage pollution is a blight on our bathing waters and precious natural environment.
“My postbag is full of constituents who are rightly disgusted by it. But the Conservatives have been letting polluters get away with it for years.
“I’ll continue to work hard in our community and in Parliament to force water companies to clean up their act. The next Labour government will enforce these tough plans to finally put an end to the sewage crisis in our city once and for all.”
