Labour candidate for Portsmouth South Stephen Morgan has said Labour’s tough plans will put sewage-dumping water companies in special measures to tackle the Tory sewage scandal.
Over the last six years, there have been over one million sewage spill events across the country, including here in Portsmouth.
This means that on average, the Tories have allowed water companies to spill sewage onto our beaches and into our waters every two-and-a-half minutes.
That’s why Labour’s candidate for Portsmouth South Stephen Morgan has made stopping the sewage one of his top priorities.
Labour’s plan will stop the bonuses, tackle failing water companies, and protect Britain’s natural environment and beautiful holiday spots.
The party has pledged to put failing water companies under tough special measures to force them to clean up their toxic mess and protect people’s health.
You can read about Stephen’s long track record of relentlessly campaigning to stop the sewage and Labour’s plans in more detail below.
Voting for change
Mr Morgan backed legislation brought forward by Labour to end the Tory sewage scandal by 2030, in the absence of any credible plan from the Government.
Labour’s Water Quality Bill would have delivered mandatory monitoring on all sewage outlets, introduce automatic fines for discharges, set ambitious targets for stopping systematic sewage dumping and ensure that water bosses are held to account for negligence.
Read more about Stephen’s voting record here: https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/city-mp-votes-to-end-sewage-scandal/
Engaging Portsmouth people
Mr Morgan has hosted several public meetings to discuss his action to date and hear local people’s ideas on how to stop sewage pollution.
Read more here: https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/stephens-solent-sewage-public-meeting/
Read more here: https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/portsmouth-mp-invites-constituents-to-have-their-say-on-protecting-our-precious-environment/
Raising the issue in Parliament
Mr Morgan used an urgent question in the House of Commons to press the Government to end sewage pollution once and for all, by backing Labour’s plan for tough action against polluting water companies.
Read more here: https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/portsmouth-mp-urges-environment-minister-to-enact-plan-to-tackle-sewage-pollution-with-immediate-effect/
Holding the government to account
In March, Mr Morgan challenged the Government to introduce an immediate ban on bonuses for polluting water bosses, after it was revealed that raw sewage spills into England rivers and seas doubled in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Pressing Ministers to intervene
Mr Morgan wrote to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Agriculture and Rural Affairs to call on the Government to take urgent action after it was revealed that a Portsmouth beach, Southsea East, has been awarded the ‘Brown Flag’ award for being one of the nation’s 13 ‘dirtiest’ beaches.
Read more here: https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/city-mp-calls-on-government-to-take-action-to-save-portsmouths-sea-from-sewage-following-brown-flag-award/
Speaking up for constituents
Mr Morgan launched a petition, signed by over 1000 Portsmouth people pledging their support to Stop the Sewage. You can sign the pledge here: https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/pledge-your-support-stop-the-sewage/
Joining Campaigners
Mr Morgan marked World Water Day by joining former Undertones lead singer and environmental campaigner Feargal Sharkey to back Labour’s plan to clean up the “Tory sewage scandal.”
Read more here: https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/portsmouth-mp-and-feargal-sharkey-back-labours-pledge-to-end-sewage-pollution/
Finding solutions with experts
Mr Morgan has met with the Environment Agency, Portsmouth University’s School of Biological Sciences and other experts to discuss the current situation, its impact on Portsmouth’s bathing waters and solutions to fix it.
Backing Labour’s plans
Mr Morgan endorsed plans to give Ofwat the power to ban the payment of bonuses to water bosses until they have cleared up their filth.
Read more here: https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/labours-plans-will-give-ofwat-the-powers-to-end-sewage-dumping-says-portsmouth-mp/
Labour’s plans
Labour’s plan will stop the bonuses, tackle failing water companies, and protect Britain’s beautiful holiday spots.
Under Labour’s tough plans, Ofwat could have blocked six out of nine water bosses’ bonuses last year because of severe levels of illegal pollution.
The party has pledged to put failing water companies under tough special measures to force them to clean up their toxic mess and protect people’s health.
This includes:
- Giving the water regulator powers to block the payment of any bonuses until water bosses have cleaned up their filth. We don’t need the dither and delay of a consultation; we need immediate action.
- Water bosses who oversee repeated law-breaking will face criminal charges.
- Ending self-monitoring and forcing all companies to monitor every single water outlet under independent supervision so companies can no longer cover up illegal sewage dumping.
- Introducing severe and automatic fines that water companies can’t afford to ignore for illegal sewage discharges
Read more here: https://labour.org.uk/updates/stories/heres-how-labour-will-tackle-sewage-spills-in-uk-rivers-and-seas/
