Labour government would send water bosses to prison

In a speech to Labour conference in Liverpool, Jim McMahon, the party’s shadow environment secretary, will unveil how Sir Keir Starmer’s government will tackle water companies.

This will include mandatory monitoring of sewage outlets and automatic fines for discharges into Britain’s waterways, which the party believes could bring in around £1.8 billion in the first year.

Labour will also give stronger powers to the Environment Agency to enforce action against water companies, such as introducing a legally-binding target to end 90 per cent of sewage discharges by 2030.

Some of the more eye-catching proposals in Labour’s water plan include the action which could be taken against water bosses, which include the power to strike off company directors and Chief Executives for repeat offending.

This would be backed up with legal ramifications which would include prison sentences for the most serious offences, something which has also been called for by the Environment Agency.

“During Liz Truss’ time as Environment Secretary; she signed off £24 million pounds of funding cuts for environmental protection, including surveillance of water companies to prevent sewage dumping,” Mr McMahon will say.

“Every one of those sewage spills goes right to her door and their plan sees it continuing until at least 2035.

“It’s not enough to halt the surge of pollution, Labour’s ambition will breathe life back into our countryside and coastal communities; areas long abandoned by the Tories.”

Yorkshire Water has recorded 169,576 spillage incidents between 2016 and 2021, the equivalent to one incident every 18 minutes, according to Labour Party figures.

The Environment Agency earlier this year said the company’s environmental performance needs “significant improvement” after recording 74 pollution incidents last year.

Y orkshire Water was approached for comment.