Government must clean up rivers - Labour MP

A Labour politician has said it is "time we had a government that stood up for people" by addressing high water bills, river pollution and the water companies.

Norwich South MP Clive Lewis has introduced a Private Members' Bill on water to Parliament, exploring different ownership models.

He spoke at an event in Norwich alongside singer-turned-clean-water campaigner Feargal Sharkey.

The government said a full review of the sector was already under way and pointed out that it had introduced tougher legislation last year.

Lewis said private companies were using the water sector as a "cash cow" and said: "I personally think it's time we had a government that stood up for people."

Anglian Water has been approached for comment.

Most water companies in England and Wales are privately owned and regulated by the government.

The Norwich MP said he wanted his bill to set government targets for water quality

A keen fly fisherman, Sharkey described how he had stood in rivers and watched them "die a slow, agonising death" due to pollution.

He claimed that after 35 years of privatisation, customers were waking up to large bills while rivers were still being polluted.

"What we can all agree on is this version of privatisation has utterly, utterly failed," he said.

The amount of raw sewage entering England's rivers and seas doubled year-on-year in 2023 to 3.6 million hours of spills, according to the Environment Agency.

The public, environment groups and investors are being asked for their views about how the water sector can be changed by the government.

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson pointed out it had introduced powers to ban bonuses for bosses of polluting companies, and had brought in tougher criminal charges for breaches.

"For too long, water companies have pumped record levels of sewage into our waterways," they said.

"We have delivered on our promise to put water companies under tough special measures through our landmark Water Act."

They continued: "A full review of the water sector is under way to shape further legislation that will transform how our water system works and clean up our waterways for good."

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