Pressure on Labour to back i’s rivers manifesto before crunch week for water firms
Save Britain's Rivers
Environmental groups say the incoming Labour Government must immediately take "bold" action to address the sewage crisis
An activist protests for clean rivers at the Restore Nature Now march for environmental protections (Photo: Andy Soloman/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Pressure is mounting on Labour to sign up to i’s manifesto to Save Britain’s Rivers – as a landmark decision by the water regulator next week presents the first major challenge for the party’s incoming environment secretary.
Leading environmental groups have called on the incoming Government to use its mandate to take “bold, positive” action to protect our waterways as public anger continues to grow over the sewage scandal.
Sir Keir Starmer has already praised i’s campaign, but Labour is yet to back the manifesto in full as the party shied away from making spending pledges pre-election.
But next week offers an early opportunity for the party to set out its stall on the issue as the water regulator, Ofwat, announces its highly anticipated decision on water companies’ investment plans.
Water companies in England have unveiled plans to invest £96bn between 2025 and 2030 to improve their infrastructure and reduce the amount of raw sewage being dumped into rivers, lakes and seas.
But the proposals involve huge hikes to customers bills, with firms proposing increases of between 24 per cent and 91 per cent over the five-year period. This would mean increases of between £157 to £915 per year for customers depending on where in the country they are.
On Thursday, the regulator Ofwat will give an initial decision on whether it will approve these plans.
Labour’s handling of the Ofwat decision is set to provide an early indication of how the party intends to follow through on its manifesto promise to put water companies on “special measures” to address the pollution scandal.
Ofwat is technically independent from Government, so the incoming Labour team will not be able to directly intervene in next week’s decision. However, the regulator operates within the wider policy direction set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), meaning Labour can have more influence over the body in the longer term.
The party can expect to be pressured into action by an emboldened Liberal Democrats, who have achieved one of their best-ever results after campaigning heavily on the issue of sewage pollution.
The Green Party has also won a record four seats after running on a pledge to renationalise water companies.
1. RIVER HEALTH: 77% rivers in good health by 2027
What i says: Within its first six months in power, the next government must publish a roadmap on how the UK is going to achieve its legal target of 77 per cent of rivers being in good ecological health by 2027. This must include increased funding for the Environment Agency.
What Labour says: Labour’s manifesto contains no mention of the legal target or of increased funding for the Environment Agency.
2. SEWAGE: Sewage spills will not damage high-priority areas – including bathing spots and nature sites – by 2030
What i says: Untreated sewage will not cause damage to high-priority sites (which are bathing spots, protected nature sites, National Parks and chalk streams) by 2030. Water companies who fail to meet this target will be prosecuted.
What Labour says: Labour has said it will pursue criminal charges against the executives of water companies responsible for persistent pollution, but currently has no plans to toughen sewage spill targets beyond what has been set by the current government.
3. WATCHDOG: Regulators will stop water companies destroying the environment in pursuit of profit
What i says: The next government must publish a plan to reform the regulation of water companies, including tougher powers for Ofwat to restrict dividends and bonuses for underperforming water companies. A “green duty” will be placed on Ofwat, which will force the regulator to place greater emphasis on the environment when making decisions over water companies’ business plans.
What Labour says: The party will give regulators new powers to block the payment of bonuses and bring criminal charges against executives who pollute waterways and will impose automatic and severe fines for wrongdoing. Labour has not committed to a “green duty” for Ofwat.
4. BATHING: Create 100 clean bathing spots in rivers by 2030 What i says: 100 clean bathing spots must be created in England by the end of the parliament and the Environment Agency must start monitoring water quality throughout the year at these sites.
What Labour says: The party has made no reference to bathing spots in its manifesto.
5. FARMING: Farmers must be funded to improve water quality, and face enforcement action if they damage the environment
What i says: Within its first year in power, the next government will strengthen its Environmental Land Management scheme so farmers are given more grants, support and advice to undertake activities that will improve water quality.
What Labour says: Labour says it will ensure “environment land management schemes work for farmers and nature”, but is yet to provide more detail on what that will entail. There is no mention of the agricultural budget in Labour’s manifesto.
Environmental groups told i Labour’s manifesto signalled the party was going to take the sewage crisis “seriously”, but said the party must now “go beyond vote-winning pledges to secure the huge and urgent improvements we need”.
As part of its pledge to put water companies on “special measures”, Labour has vowed to block the bonuses paid to executives responsible for pollution and to issue automatic fines for wrongdoing.
Ali Morse, water policy manager at The Wildlife Trust, said Labour’s manifesto “sends a strong signal to the water sector”, but added “fines and bonus bans alone won’t see rivers recover”.
She called on the party to urge water companies to end sewage spills through the creation of “green, nature-based solutions”, including the development of wetlands that “store water and reduce impacts of pollution”, something that is part of i‘s rivers manifesto.
Paul de Zylva, nature campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said Labour “has a chance to sort this mess and put us on course to restore the nation’s depleted nature”.
“Next week, Ofwat will give its initial view on how much more water bill payers will have to cough up to make up for the years water companies were allowed to under invest.
“A Labour government must ensure water companies – not customers – pay to clean up their mess, restore the Environment Agency’s ability to properly monitor all pollutants, and enshrine the right to a healthy environment in law,” he added.
Labour has already committed to some of the policies in i’s manifesto, including the blocking of bonuses and tougher prosecutions for water firms.
But it is yet to set out how the Environment Agency, which has been stripped to the bone under the Conservatives, will be funded in order to properly enforce environmental laws.
The party also hasn’t committed to wider reforms of the economic regulator, Ofwat, which has been blamed for allowing water companies to prioritise investor profits over the environment.
Labour has also provided scant detail on how farmers will be funded to allow them to manage their land in a nature-friendly manner, which environmentalists say is a crucial component in reducing river pollution.
Tessa Wardley, director of comms and advocacy at the Rivers Trust, said the response to i’s manifesto “has been a clear indication of the strength of public opinion on the subject”.
She added: “The Labour manifesto indicated that they are taking the issue of sewage pollution seriously; for more holistic solutions we will also encourage them to increase funding and empower Catchment Partnerships, prioritise the use of nature-based solutions and citizen science, and work across sectors to support evidence-based solutions for environmental and infrastructure challenges that don’t break the bank.”
Henry Swithinbank, policy manager at Surfers Against Sewage, said Labour “must immediately implement their manifesto by putting water companies into special measures”.
“It’s crystal-clear that Keir Starmer has not only a mandate to take bold, positive action to end sewage pollution but there is an expectation amongst the public that he will do just that.”
#1. RIVER HEALTH: 77% of rivers in good health by 2027
Current situation: England’s rivers were once havens of biodiversity, but the vast majority are now struggling to support healthy ecosystems of plants and wildlife. Just 14 per cent of rivers in England are currently in good ecological health and not a single river has achieved good chemical health. The current Government has set a legal target that 77 per cent will achieve good ecological status by 2027 – but without urgent action this will not happen.
Target: Within its first six months in power, the next Government will publish a roadmap on how it is going to achieve this existing legal target, and its long-awaited chemical strategy. The plan must include increased funding for the Environment Agency so the watchdog can do its job – and enforce the law.
#2. SEWAGE: Sewage spills will not damage high-priority areas – including bathing spots and nature sites – by 2030
Current situation: Bathing waters and nature sites are being destroyed by sewage spills, but water companies will not be required to clean up all these spaces until 2045.
Target: Untreated sewage will not cause damage to high-priority sites (which are bathing spots, protected nature sites, National Parks and chalk streams) by 2030. Water companies who fail to meet this target will be prosecuted. Nature-based solutions will be used to clean up sewage wherever possible.
#3. WATCHDOG: Regulators will stop water companies destroying the environment in pursuit of profit
Current situation: Water companies have paid their investors healthy dividends while failing to invest enough in their infrastructure to prevent environmental harm. This is partly caused by a disjointed regulatory system that prioritises economic outcomes over the environment.
Target: Within its first year in power, the next Government will publish a plan to reform regulation of water companies. This plan must be legislated on and executed within the first term of Parliament. This will include tougher powers to restrict dividends and bonuses for underperforming water companies, alongside greater resources to pursue prosecution. A “green duty” will be placed on Ofwat, which will force the regulator to place greater emphasis on the environment when making decisions over water companies’ business plans.
#4. BATHING: Create 100 clean bathing spots in rivers by 2030
Current situation: People in the UK have discovered the joy of wild swimming. But there are only 15 official bathing spots in English rivers, and many are not safe.
Target: 100 bathing spots in English rivers by the end of the next Parliament. The Environment Agency must start monitoring water quality throughout the year and take action to improve water quality at these sites. Bathing regulations will be altered so polluters can be prosecuted when bathing sites fail water quality tests.
#5. FARMING: Farmers must be funded to improve water quality, and face enforcement action if they damage the environment
Current situation: Agriculture is the biggest source of pollution in many rivers, but many farmers warn they are struggling to make ends meet under post-Brexit farming subsidies. Meanwhile, the Environment Agency is failing to enforce farming water-quality regulations.
Target: Within its first year in power, the next Government will strengthen its Environmental Land Management scheme so farmers are given more grants, support and advice to undertake activities that will improve water quality. The Environment Agency will commit to a year-on-year increase in the number of farms being inspected – and take enforcement action against those who commit breaches of the “farming rules for water”.
How you can take action to Save Britain’s Rivers
If you want to push the next Government to act to protect Britain’s rivers, you can support i’s manifesto by doing the following:
Write to your local MP election candidates, asking them if they will support i’s five-point plan and push for it to be incorporated into their party’s manifesto in time for next month’s election.
Write to your local water company, urging them to sign up to the pledges and to be part of the solution to Britain’s polluted rivers, not part of the problem.
Share i’s manifesto on social media and amongst your local community.
Get involved with the groups supporting i’s manifesto, who are already doing incredible work to conserve our precious waterways
If you have a story about your local river that you think should be featured in our campaign, contact lucie.heath@inews.co.uk
