The General Election and Water Quality

With the election fast approaching, and all manifestos launched; how do the main UK political parties promise to deliver on water? N.B. Parties were selected as “top four” based on seats held at the dissolution of the most recent parliamentary session.

Where do the four main parties stand?

Conservative

The conservative party are the current overall parliamentary majority, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The manifesto promises:

• Draw attention to their implementation of the Environment Act in 2021.


• Commit to working with the regulator (Ofwat) with the potential to ban executive bonuses if a company has committed a “serious criminal breach” and build on existing legislation for limitless fines.


• Extending the current £50 rebate for South West Water across parliament.


• Use fines from water companies to invest in river restoration. Here the focus is on linking up already thriving habitats whilst creating a river recovery network, using solutions tailored to the individual catchment.


• Reform the ‘price review’ regulatory process for water companies, which will consider moving to localised, catchment-based approaches which are outcome focused and makes better use of nature-based solutions.

Labour

The labour party form the majority of the opposition seats in the current parliament and are considered one of the main parties with the conservatives.
The manifesto promises:

• Plans to put failing water companies into “special measures” to clean up water.


• New powers to the regulator giving them the ability to block executive bonuses for the companies who pollute waterways, alongside the ability to bring criminal charges against persistent law breakers.


• Automatic and severe fines for wrongdoing.


• Ensure independent monitoring for every outlet (taken to mean CSOs and WWTW discharge outlets).


• “Taking action” to meet the targets set out in the 2021 Environment Act whilst working in partnership with “civil society, communities and business to restore and protect our natural world.

Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats held the third majority at the dissolution of the most recent parliament.
The manifesto promises:

• Proclaims the “boldest manifesto on cleaning up rivers and coasts”.


• Plan to introduce a “blue flag” status for rivers that are classified as bathing waters and, setting forward new standards.


• A “blue corridor” programme for improving water health for rivers, lakes and coastlines.


• Transforming water companies into “public benefit companies” and enforcing bans on bonuses until sewage leaks and discharges are stopped.


• Propose a “sewage tax” on water company profits.


• Increased enforcement of existing laws regarding sewage release through storm overflows only in exceptional circumstances.


• Setting legal binding targets to prevent sewage release into bathing waters and “highly sensitive nature sites” by 2030 as well as additional site designations with robust and more regular monitoring for all sites.


• Mandating all water companies to publish accessible real-time data on any sewage they dump.


• Abolish the current regulator (Ofwat) and replace with a new regulator with greater powers.


• Currently the only political party to sign up to iNews “Save Britain’s Rivers” campaign.

Scottish National Party

The Scottish National Party currently only stand for seats in Scotland but hold the final of the top four majority of MPs of the most recent parliament.
There are no specific manifesto promises regarding water quality, with the only water mention being in relation to fishing policies. Within their wider policies section through the SNP website, environment-water related policies mainly referred to marine policies and increasing marine protected areas.
Our impression of the key takeaways from the top four parties:

• Sewage is undoubtedly a key campaign point for most, but the approaches suggested differ between the parties.


• Two parties stand for a change from private water companies and all three suggest some form of tighter regulation, whether through strengthening the existing regulator or creating a new one.


• The focus is very much on sewage with fewer mentions of other pollutants.


• There is degree of vagueness across the manifestos as to how these policies will work or the definition of some words e.g. “exceptional circumstances”, “special measures”.


• There is hope to be had that the state of water quality in the UK does seem to be on the political agenda however how that will translate to votes and action when in office remains to be seen.

Proteus Instruments has written this piece as a factual, unbiased informer as to the manifesto points of the top four political majorities in the UK parliament at its dissolution in 2024. Any interpretation of bias or favouring is accidental and should not be taken as indicative of the company or any of its employees’ political position.

Should you wish to find out more about water quality, the environment, and how you can connect with candidates, the following links may be of help:

River’s Trust “Vote for Rivers”

i News “Save Britain’s Rivers” Campaign

1st Jul 2024