Since being elected as the Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South in 2017, cleaning up Portsmouth’s waterways has continuously been one of my priorities for our city in my work in Parliament.
Not only does sewage pollution in our community have an impact on our beloved coastal waters but also it poses a risk to the health and wellbeing of local people.
As part of my efforts as your local MP, I recently met with the Environment Agency, which is responsible for protecting and improving England’s natural environment, regarding Southern Water and the recent classification of Southsea East’s designated bathing water as “poor” in 2025.
This classification, which aligns with those given for 2023 and 2024, means that the available bathing water within the area does not meet the minimum standard. This can be read about in further detail here.
During this meeting, I passed on the concerns shared with me by Portsmouth people in response to this classification, as well as more generally feedback on Portsmouth’s water quality and the impact of sewage pollution I am keen to ensure that local voices and circumstances inform any future action taken by the agency within the region and nationally.
Crucially, this meeting provided an opportunity to discuss long-term pollution reduction measures and decisive action taken by this Government since coming into office in 2024 to address both water quality and sewage pollution across the UK.
Labour understands the circumstances that our water sector was left in following 14 years of neglect under the previous Government, and the consequences this has had for the environment and consumers. That is why this Government intends to deliver a generational reform of the entire water system.
This will be achieved through the “A New Vision for Water” White Paper, which will clean up the water industry, strengthen regulation and put an end to failing water companies marking their own homework. This White Paper will be taken forward through primary legislation in the coming months.
Measures outlined by the White Paper can be read about in further detail here.
This White Paper follows the decisive action already taken by this Government to clean up our waterways since July 2024, including:
- Investing £104 Billion to upgrade crumbling pipes and build sewage treatment works across the country
- Reinvesting £100 Million of company fines into local clean-up projects in communities
- Providing the Environment Agency a record £189 Million to fund hundreds of enforcement officers to inspect and prosecute polluting water companies
- Passing the Water (Special Measures) Act which banned unfair bonuses for polluting water bosses and threatened prison sentences for law-breaking executive
However, as demonstrated by the recent classification of bathing waters within our city, there is still work to do. Please be assured that I will continue to take action in Parliament to cut pollution and restore our rivers, lakes and seas to good health for future generations.
Stephen Morgan MP
