Tag Archives: sewage dumping

21 July 2025 – Monday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 23rd July 2025 - 11:15 pm

Firstly, apologies for the delay in posting these – an overrunning Parish Council meeting took precedence, I’m afraid…

Cunliffe report: “Wild West” of water companies must come to an end
ACOBA: Lib Dems say ministerial payouts for disgraced ministers should be scrapped altogether
Ofwat scrap: Persistent sewage dumpers must be held criminally responsible
The Welsh Liberal Democrats respond to concerns over SFS at the Royal Welsh Show
The Welsh Liberal Democrats respond to the Family Farm Tax at the Royal Welsh Show
SNP must stop pretending Scotland is immune from sewage scandal

Cunliffe report: “Wild West” of water companies must come to an end

Responding to Sir Jon Cunliffe’s report into the water industry including the call to scrap Ofwat, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron said:

This is a big win for the Liberal Democrats who have led the campaign against the sewage scandal for years. Since 2022 we have called for Ofwat to be replaced with a tougher regulator, now finally the government appears to have listened.

There’s no doubt these major reforms would not be happening if it wasn’t for our record general election win and the millions who voted for us last year.

We will now be studying this report in detail and holding the government’s feet to the fire to ensure these promises are delivered on. The wild west of water companies paying out huge bonuses while ruining rivers with filthy sewage must finally be brought to an end.

ACOBA: Lib Dems say ministerial payouts for disgraced ministers should be scrapped altogether

Responding to reports that the Government is abolishing ACOBA, a Liberal Democrat Spokesperson said:

This is the right step after years of Conservative sleaze which did so much damage to standards in public life. Its lack of powers to enforce the rules it oversaw meant ACOBA was about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

The Prime Minister must now go further – ban Ministerial severance payouts altogether for disgraced former ministers, as well as stripping Liz Truss of her access to the ex-PM allowance fund of up to £125,000 per annum.

It shouldn’t have taken a year to set up the Ethics and Integrity Commission – and there will be no excuse if the Government attempts to kick these vital issues into the long grass.

Posted in News, Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Also tagged ACOBA, Alex Cole-Hamilton, better regulation, ed davey, farming, jane dodds, tim farron and water companies | Leave a comment

What? Sewerage spills will halve by 2030?

By Michael Taylor | Mon 21st July 2025 - 12:37 pm

What is this Labour government playing at? Having steadfastly refused to abolish OFWAT until last week, they now blithely announce, as if it’s some great triumph, that sewerage dumping will halve by 2030.

Once again this pusillanimous Labour government are letting private water companies off the hook. Successive government (including it must be said the coalition government) did nothing about OFWAT and continued to allow water companies to siphon off cash in dividends, outrageous salaries and huge bonuses, instead of insisting that they deal with sewerage treatment so that dumping became a thing of the past.

Now Labour is, with extreme reluctance …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged water companies | 36 Comments

19-20 July 2025 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 21st July 2025 - 7:30 am

John Healey accused of misleading Parliament over Afghan data breach
Water pollution: People fed up with empty promises
Water ombudsman: We need fundamental change, not another layer of bureaucracy
521 spills recorded at private sewage plants but 5 sites not even required to monitor spills

John Healey accused of misleading Parliament over Afghan data breach

The Liberal Democrats have said the Defence Secretary John Healey appears to have misled Parliament over the Afghan data breach – and must “urgently come before Parliament to answer the question of whether he knowingly misled MPs and the public”.

Only three days ago John Healey told MPs in the House of Commons that no serving member of the armed forces had been put at risk by the data loss. This comes despite it emerging yesterday that over 100 British officials, including members of the special forces and MI6, were compromised in a data breach.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey called on the Defence Secretary to urgently come to Parliament and correct the record.

Responding to a question from Liberal Democrat MP Defence Committee member Ian Roome on Tuesday 15 July, John Healey said: “To the best of my knowledge and belief, no serving member of our armed forces is put at risk by the data loss.”

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

Three days ago John Healey claimed no-one serving in the armed forces was put at risk by the data breach. Today we found out that appears to be false.

We need to know if any serving members of the armed forces were impacted – and the Defence Secretary must urgently come before Parliament to answer the question of whether he knowingly misled MPs and the public.

Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged afghan data breach, Alex Cole-Hamilton, ed davey, ian roome, tim farron and water companies | 2 Comments

28-29 June 2025 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 29th June 2025 - 11:30 pm

George Freeman: Badenoch must suspend whip
Bob Vylan: hate speech has no place at Glastonbury or in society
Greene: Scottish Government must realise economic potential of defence spending
Greene responds to proposed Greenfold redundancies
Cole-Hamilton: Disease burden shows NHS needs vision and foresight
Cramond among 12 sites with dangerous dry weather sewage dumping
Lib Dems secure U-turn from Scottish Government on sewage dumping guidance

George Freeman: Badenoch must suspend whip

Responding to reports that Conservative MP George Freeman has referred himself to the parliamentary watchdog over cash for questions claims, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said:

This looks like the same old sleaze and scandal people have come to expect from the Conservative Party.

Kemi Badenoch should immediately suspend the whip from George Freeman while this is investigated.

Failure to act would confirm that even after being booted out of government, the Conservatives are still hopelessly out of touch.

Bob Vylan: hate speech has no place at Glastonbury or in society

Responding to Bob Vylan’s performance at Glastonbury on Saturday, Liberal Democrat Culture, Media and Sport Spokesperson Max Wilkinson MP said:

Bob Vylan’s chants at Glastonbury yesterday were appalling. Cultural events are always a place for debate, but hate speech, antisemitism and incitements to violence have no place at Glastonbury or anywhere in our society.

Everyone has a responsibility to use language and public platforms carefully.

Greene: Scottish Government must realise economic potential of defence spending

To mark Armed Forces Day, Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Jamie Greene MSP has written to the Deputy First Minister urging her to ensure the Scottish Government realises the economic potential of increases in the defence budget.

In June, the UK Chancellor announced that UK defence spending would rise to 2.6% by April 2027.

The increase comes after Liberal Democrat calls in January for a clear roadmap to 3% defence spending, as well as for the government to commit to a full reversal of the Conservatives’ cut of 10,000 troops.

The UK Government’s defence spending increase includes a promised £250 million over three years on the Faslane submarine base in the West of Scotland. It also includes a £4.5 billion munitions investment in several sites across the UK, including Glasgow.

It has also been reported that billions of pounds will need to be invested with established Scottish tech companies to develop drones, satellites, battlefield communications systems, missiles and guidance systems over the next decade.

The text of Mr Greene’s letter to the Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, is as follows:

Dear Kate,

I am writing to you following the UK Government’s Spending Review, which has allocated a significant portion of increases in defence spending to Scotland. This includes a promised £250 million over three years on the Faslane submarine base in the West of Scotland.

Scotland’s defence industry currently supports more than 14,000 jobs and generated £1bn for the economy in 2023 alone. It is a critical source of employment not only in my own region along the Clyde, but also in areas like Prestwick, Edinburgh and Dundee amongst others.

If those communities are to reap the benefits of this spending increase, and I believe they should, the Scottish Government must also play its part in realising that economic potential. That means creating the right environment for jobs and investment as well as tackling obstacles that could otherwise dampen those opportunities.

At the moment there are worrying gaps in Scotland’s skills pipeline. The Liberal Democrats have repeatedly raised the issue of teacher shortages in key subjects including maths, chemistry, physics, biology and computer sciences, all of which are vital to developing the skills which will be required by the defence sector.

That situation has been made no easier by the somewhat confused stance the Scottish Government takes on matters of national security and its support for the defence industry in Scotland, by way of example Scottish Enterprise declining to support the proposed Rolls-Royce ‘welding skills’ centre in Glasgow. There is also an increasingly anti-sector narrative being used in the language of politics, and sadly government.

Like many others, I am concerned this creates an unwelcome environment for businesses who might otherwise invest in our defence industry here, as well as for those considering a career in it.

In light of this can I ask for:

An update on what exactly the Scottish Government is doing to facilitate and encourage businesses to invest in the Scotland’s defence industry,

An outline as to what steps the Scottish Government is taking to address the current lack of teachers in key STEM subjects across Scotland and,

Clarity on whether or the not the Scottish Government believes that there should be an ongoing and thriving defence sector in Scotland.

It is incumbent on the Scottish Government to use its available powers to foster a conducive environment for employment, investment and growth.

The defence sector, coupled with our armed forces presence, contributes financially, educationally and socially in the communities they operate in. I hope on that point we have agreement as to their importance and in making them feel welcome in Scotland.

Yours sincerely,

Jamie Greene MSP

Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, daisy cooper, defence industry, hate speech, health care, industrial strategy, jamie greene, max wilkinson and tory sleaze | 10 Comments

5 June 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 5th June 2025 - 11:45 pm

Royal College of Radiologists report: if Government “doesn’t take its head out of the sand” patients will “pay the price”
Zia Yusuf resignation: leading UK DOGE by example
Lib Dems make final pitch to Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse voters
Scotland has worst shortage of oncologists in UK
Local MP uncovers rail funding scandal
Royal College of Radiologists report: if Government “doesn’t take its head out of the sand” patients will “pay the price”

Responding to two reports by the Royal College of Radiologists, which revealed that 9 in 10 cancer centre leaders reported delays to patients starting treatment, and 7 in 10 were concerned about staff shortages putting patient safety at risk, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

This report should be yet another wake up call for Ministers that they cannot ignore the crisis in cancer any longer. We are seeing waiting times grow longer and the rate of early diagnosis stall, with the Government at risk of sleepwalking through a disaster while patients face dangerous delays and overstretched NHS staff are left at breaking point.

If the Government doesn’t take its head out of the sand and act now, it is patients who will pay the price. The upcoming NHS workforce plan must rapidly expand the number of cancer nurses and modernise treatment before more lives are put at risk.

The Liberal Democrats have long been campaigning to ensure the conditions are in place to guarantee patients can start their treatment within two months of an urgent referral to get them the care they deserve.

Zia Yusuf resignation: leading UK DOGE by example

Responding to Zia Yusuf resigning as Reform UK Chairman, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said:

By sacking himself, Zia Yusuf seems to be leading the “UK DOGE” by example. You have to admire his commitment to the cause.

It’s already clear Reform UK cannot deliver for the communities they are elected to stand up for. Instead, they have copied the Conservative playbook of fighting like rats in a sack.

Lib Dems make final pitch to Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse voters

Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Aisha Mir has made her final pitch to voters, pledging a vision of a Scotland that is back to its best.

Aisha Mir is a businesswoman, Children’s Panel member and carer who has also served as the party’s spokesperson for human rights and older people.

She has been active in a number of projects & campaigns supporting unpaid carers, welfare for the elderly, human rights, diversity and inequality.

Aisha Mir, Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, said:

For too many people, it feels like nothing works anymore.

The SNP have failed Scotland for eighteen years. The Conservatives are lurching to extremes. Labour are already letting people down. Reform have no real solutions.

I’m in politics to get things done. I want to be a hard working local champion who will put your priorities first.

Only the Scottish Liberal Democrats are offering you a vision of a Scotland that is back to its best.

A Scotland where people can see a GP and an NHS dentist in good time.

A Scotland that once again gives our children a world-class education.

A Scotland with a growing economy and growing businesses, where the government looks after your money and works with our neighbours.

Vote Scottish Liberal Democrat for a candidate who is focused on what really matters to you.

Posted in News, Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Also tagged aisha mir, Alex Cole-Hamilton, barnett formula, by-election, cancer care, daisy cooper, david chadwick, helen morgan, rail transport and reform uk | Leave a comment

30 May/1 June – a long weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 2nd June 2025 - 11:41 am

Military housing: high time for Govt to “get out of the slow lane” and apply decent homes standard
Lib Dems on Healey comments: Government “dragging its feet” on reversing Army cuts
IFS Briefing: Lib Dems say Government ministers will be “bailing water from a sinking boat with a spoon” if they ignore fixing social care
Welsh Lib Dems Respond to Mark Drakeford National Insurance Bombshell
Scottish Government rebuked by own watchdog over sewage dumping

Military housing: high time for Govt to “get out of the slow lane” and apply decent homes standard

Responding to the Government’s military housing announcement today , Helen Maguire MP, Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesperson, said:

We’ve been fighting for the Government to get out of the slow lane when it comes to fixing the homes of our military families for years. After years of the Conservatives turning a blind eye, I’m glad to see this Government has finally come to their senses and listened.

Those bravely defending our country deserve proper housing without leaks, mould, floods and freezing temperatures.

But it’s disappointing to see the Government refuse to commit to bring all military homes under the decent homes standard – a change the Lib Dems will continue to champion, so no military family has to suffer in a second-rate home.

Lib Dems on Healey comments: Government “dragging its feet” on reversing Army cuts

Responding to Defence Secretary John Healey confirming that the British Army will not be increased in size this parliament, Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesperson Helen Maguire said:

From lax recruitment goals to slow spending promises, the Government is simply not addressing our defence issues urgently enough. The previous Conservative governments irresponsibly slashed troop numbers, and it’s desperately disappointing to now see Labour dragging its feet on reversing those reckless cuts.

With a war raging on our continent and the twin dangers of an unreliable Trump and an imperialist Putin, we are presented with a once-in-a-generation threat to the UK’s security.

It’s time the Government committed to urgently reversing the Conservatives’ 10,000 troop cut to address that threat.

Posted in News, Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Also tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, armed forces, daisy cooper, helen maguire, jane dodds, military housing, nhs funding and NHS staffing | Leave a comment

24-25 May 2025 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 25th May 2025 - 11:00 pm

Number of lung cancer patients not treated within two-month standard rises by 40% with some waiting more than a year
Winter Fuel Payments: Govt needs to complete world’s slowest u-turn
Cole-Hamilton reveals constituencies with most sewage spills and those with no monitoring
Greene urges government to keep a record of online sextortion offences

Number of lung cancer patients not treated within two-month standard rises by 40% with some waiting more than a year

The number of lung cancer patients not treated within the 62-day standard from a referral has risen by 40% since 2019 to 3,750 last year

One patient waited 481 days to begin treatment following a referral for lung cancer with hundreds waiting longer than four months for care in 2024

Liberal Democrat MP Clive Jones, a cancer campaigner and cancer survivor himself, has now written to the Health Secretary following the closure of the call to evidence for the National Cancer Plan demanding a target for 100% of patients beginning treatment within 62-days

The number of lung cancer patients waiting longer than the 62-day referral to treatment standard has risen by 41% since 2019, with 3,750 patients enduring waits of at least two-months last year, Freedom of Information requests (FOIs) by Lib Dem MP Clive Jones’ office have revealed.

Jones’ office received responses from 65 of the 144 NHS Trusts meaning the true number of lung cancer patients not treated within the 62-day standard is likely far higher. From those Trusts that did respond, it showed that those treated outside of the 62-days rose from 2,660 in 2019, to 3,750 last year, a rise of 41%.

The data also revealed the number of people waiting more than four-months to receive treatment, more than double the time expected for the standard. It showed 717 people last year waiting at least four-months, double 2019’s figure of 356. Trusts also responded with the longest time that someone had waited to begin lung cancer treatment with Bedfordshire Hospitals reporting a wait of 481 days.

Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, clive jones, daisy cooper, jamie greene, lung cancer, nhs waiting times, sextortion and winter fuel payment | 1 Comment

19 May 2025 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 20th May 2025 - 10:35 pm

A day later than usual, as I was busy being “gloriously” re-elected as Chair of Creeting St Peter Parish Council…

Davey on UK-EU deal: “positive first steps” but PM must ignore Reform and Conservative “dinosaurs”
Youth Mobility Scheme: UK needs “explicit details” not “woolly commitments”
UK-EU deal: with “more ambition” economic benefits could have been “ten times greater”
Scottish Water failure to follow up Holy Loch spilling “woefully complacent”

Davey on UK-EU deal: “positive first steps” but PM must ignore Reform and Conservative “dinosaurs”

Responding to reports that the UK and EU have reached a deal to be announced later today, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

These seem to be some positive first steps in rebuilding our relationship with Europe after years of a Conservative Party that wrecked trust and broke our relationship with our closest allies.

The Prime Minister must ignore the naysayers and dinosaurs in Reform and the Conservative Party and be more ambitious in getting the best deal in the national interest.

Youth Mobility Scheme: UK needs “explicit details” not “woolly commitments”

Responding to reports that a youth mobility scheme has been agreed only in principle, Liberal Democrat Europe Spokesperson, James MacCleary MP said:

After months of flip-flopping, it appears the Government won’t get a youth mobility scheme over the line today.

That’s incredibly disappointing – we need more than just a woolly commitment. While an agreement in principle marks progress after months of Lib Dem pressure on this issue, we should have been able to negotiate a scheme at today’s summit, rather than kicking the can once more down the road.

The Government must make it an urgent priority after talks end to map out explicit details on how and when the youth scheme will be introduced.

Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged alan reid, Alex Cole-Hamilton, daisy cooper, ed davey, james maccleary, uk eu relations and youth mobility | Leave a comment

16-18 May 2025 – the (long) weekend’s press releases (part 2)

By Mark Valladares | Sun 18th May 2025 - 11:00 pm

Lib Dems urge Labour MPs to back closer trade with EU which could raise £25 billion a year and avoid welfare cuts
Record low number of frontline NHS staff receive flu jabs this winter as some areas see less than one in 10 vaccinated
Youth Mobility Scheme news a ‘glimmer of hope’
Scottish Water urged to get a grip as bills and bonuses rise

Lib Dems urge Labour MPs to back closer trade with EU which could raise £25 billion a year and avoid welfare cuts

The Liberal Democrats have sent a letter to Labour MPs urging them to back closer trade ties with the EU to boost the public finances and avoid “savage” cuts to support for vulnerable families and pensioners.

It comes as House of Commons Library analysis, commissioned by the party, has estimated that if GDP was 2.2% higher, that could mean roughly £25 billion in extra tax revenues a year. The 2.2% figure is from independent analysis by Frontier Economics commissioned by Best for Britain and is for GDP in the long-run based on a new trade deal with the EU that secured deep alignment on goods and services.

This would easily be enough for the Government to U-turn on its cuts to winter fuel payments (£1.5 billion) and disability benefits (£5 billion), along with future cuts to public spending expected to be announced by the Chancellor in the Spending Review next month.

In the letter sent to Labour MPs, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Calum Miller will say his party would be willing to work constructively on securing a new trade deal with Europe, providing the boost to public finances needed to reverse cuts to disability benefits and the winter fuel payment. The Liberal Democrats’ 72-strong group of MPs is the largest third party in 100 years. Over 100 Labour MPs have reportedly signed a letter calling on the Government to back down from the welfare cuts.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a new trade deal with the EU including a new UK-EU customs union, which would significantly reduce red tape for British businesses exporting to the continent. Previous independent analysis has found that close alignment with the EU on goods and services could boost GDP by 2.2%. The House of Commons Library has estimated that if GDP was 2.2% higher, this could boost annual tax revenues by roughly £25 billion.

Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Calum Miller MP said:

A far more ambitious trade deal with Europe, including a new UK-EU customs union, would be the single biggest thing ministers could do to boost growth and fix the public finances.

The Liberal Democrats stand ready to work constructively with Labour MPs to boost trade with Europe and avoid savage cuts for vulnerable families and pensioners.

The local elections showed the Government is facing a massive backlash for failing to deliver the change the country was promised. Ministers now face a stark choice: be bold enough to change course or continue with policies that are harming people and our economy.

Record low number of frontline NHS staff receive flu jabs this winter as some areas see less than one in 10 vaccinated

A record low of 37% of frontline health service staff took up flu jabs this winter, with some areas seeing less than one in 10 receive the vaccine. This came as hospitals battled a surge in those admitted due to the disease, House of Commons Library research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, calum miller, eu trade deal, flu vaccination, helen morgan, james maccleary, NHS staffing and youth mobility | 4 Comments

23 January 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 23rd January 2025 - 10:45 pm

Government ruling out customs scheme with EU is an “act of economic negligence”
NHS stats: government must convene COBRA amid surge in norovirus cases
Lib Dems reveal private company overseeing hundreds of sewage dumps
Scot Lib Dems push for prison suicide and fatal accident inquiry reform
Cole-Hamilton comments on scrapping of doomed social care centralisation

Government ruling out customs scheme with EU is an “act of economic negligence”

Responding to the Government appearing to rule out the EU’s proposal of the UK joining a European customs area this morning, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

It is alarming that the Government is happy to negotiate with China but won’t even look at a better trading arrangement with our closest neighbours in Europe. This is an act of economic negligence.

If the Government thinks it will get growth back in the economy by borrowing Boris Johnson’s playbook on European negotiations it is going to end up being sorely disappointed.

It is time for a proper UK-EU customs arrangement so we can strengthen our negotiations with Donald Trump, cut the red tape on our businesses and grow the economy.

NHS stats: government must convene COBRA amid surge in norovirus cases

Responding to the latest NHS stats showing norovirus levels in hospitals to be 80% higher than last year with bed occupancy standing at 96%, well above the 85% that is considered safe, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

The situation for patients and our NHS could not be more stark. People are dying on trolleys in corridors and staff are at breaking point. It cannot be overstated just how grim things are in A&Es across the country.

This is one of the most brutal winters on record following years of shameful Conservative neglect and the current government is now at risk of losing control of this crisis. Any more delay in action has the potential to be deadly for patients.

COBRA must be convened immediately with an emergency plan brought forward to protect patients from this ongoing disaster.

It is time for the government to step up and grip this crisis in a way that they have so far failed to do.

Lib Dems reveal private company overseeing hundreds of sewage dumps

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today revealed that more than 500 sewage overspills took place at sites managed by private firms in just twelve months, including more than 100 at the Edinburgh Waste Water treatment work at Seafield, run by Veolia.

Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, Customs Union, ed davey, helen morgan, norovirus, prison reform, social care and willie rennie | 5 Comments

11-12 January 2025 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 12th January 2025 - 10:30 pm

Reeves in China: Chancellor must come back now with serious plan for growth
Cole-Hamilton: Scottish Water must ensure no gaps in sewage monitoring

Reeves in China: Chancellor must come back now with serious plan for growth

Responding to the Chancellor’s announcements in China amidst the ongoing market turmoil at home, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson, Daisy Cooper MP said:

The Chancellor must come back now to urgently address the ongoing crisis in the markets and announce a serious plan for growth.

She should reverse the misguided and self-defeating jobs tax, scrap the broken business rates system and start rebuilding our trade relationship with Europe, to fix

…

Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, daisy cooper and uk economy | 2 Comments

8 October 2024 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 9th October 2024 - 11:55 pm

Water companies revealed to escape fines as Lib Dems force new sewage vote in Parliament
Water Bills: Govt must enforce tougher restrictions on water companies
Cole-Hamilton calls for support as thousands of NHS staff off on long term sick
Action needed on Welsh water quality
Cole-Hamilton: A&E in permacrisis under SNP
Drug deaths crisis brings untold suffering
Rennie responds to Swinney’s poverty comments
Chairman of scandal-hit water regulator quits

Water companies revealed to escape fines as Lib Dems force new sewage vote in Parliament

Liberal Democrats to force parliamentary vote on outright ban on water company bosses bonuses

New Freedom of Information Request reveals Ofwat has failed to levy any fines against disgraced firms and employs just 8 full time staff on sewage investigations

Ed Davey slams government decision to let Ofwat decide new water company bosses bonuses

The Liberal Democrats plan to table an amendment which outlaws water company bonuses as the government’s new Water Bill enters Parliament tomorrow (9 October).

It comes as a shocking new Freedom of Information request by the Liberal Democrats found that Ofwat admitted “we have not issued any fines in connection with how water companies manage their sewage treatment” Since they launched their investigation into water companies’ sewage discharges in November 2021. Instead, Ofwat is still in “consultation” with the water companies it aims to fine.

The new findings revealed by the Liberal Democrats goes on to state that Ofwat’s investigation into sewage treatment works has a staffing of just 8.5 full-time employees, “many” of whom are working on the report “alongside other projects”.

This scant, part-time staffing raises serious questions over the regulator’s resources and powers to properly scrutinise water companies it oversees – particularly given that Ofwat’s CEO called the project “the largest and most complex investigation” the watchdog has ever undertaken.

Ofwat told the Lib Dems that “many of the people working on the investigation do so for a portion of their time alongside other projects”, and that the regulator is “in the process of recruiting further staff”.

Under the government’s new Water Bill, water company executive bonuses will be determined by key test indicators established by Ofwat. Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey is calling for Ofwat to be scrapped as a failed regulator which should have no role in determining water company bonuses.

Analysis of Company House records by the Liberal Democrats has found water company executives have made £35 million in bonuses since 2021.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

It is time for Parliament to stand up and take action on the sewage crisis after years of failure under the Conservatives.

The new government’s attempt is sadly a job half done. A toothless and tired regulator will fail to end the scandal of multi-million pound bonuses for sewage dumpers.

We need water company executive bonuses banned until the sewage dumping stops. This disgraced industry has shown it is not worthy of any bonuses.

Conservative MPs spent years voting against a ban on sewage bonuses and propping up a failed regulator. It is time to rip up the industry, with companies which no longer put profit before the environment, and a proper regulator with real power.

Liberal Democrat MPs standby ready to work with the government to make sure the new Water Bill protects local communities from foul sewage.

Water Bills: Govt must enforce tougher restrictions on water companies

Commenting on the latest Ofwat reports, which revealed that water firms have been told to cut bills over poor performance, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

Posted in News, Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Also tagged a and e waiting times, Alex Cole-Hamilton, drug use, ed davey, jane dodds, NHS staffing, poverty, regulators, tim farron, water companies and willie rennie | 1 Comment

23 July 2024 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 24th July 2024 - 11:55 pm

Lib Dem amendment to the King’s Speech selected for vote
NAO Health Report: Heart of govt’s agenda must be rescuing the NHS
EA Annual Report: public sick to the back teeth of polluting firms
Cleverly: A failed Conservative minister with a tarnished legacy
New figures show sewage dumping higher in 2023 than previously known

Lib Dem amendment to the King’s Speech selected for vote

The Liberal Democrat amendment to the King’s Speech has been selected for a vote expected around 7pm this evening.

The amendment calls for a range of measures including free personal care in England, better support for carers and a cross-party commission on social care to provide the desperately needed long-term reforms to the sector. It also calls for the scrapping of the two child benefit cap.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

I am proud the Liberal Democrats have tabled this amendment to the King’s Speech to stand up for care and carers. We will be the voice of carers in this Parliament and work with others to find solutions to the big challenge of social care.”

Millions of people voted for the Liberal Democrats because they wanted us to deliver change and a fair deal. Now, from our plan to tackle the sewage scandal to more support to fix our NHS and care, Liberal Democrat MPs are making the case for just that in Parliament today.

NAO Health Report: Heart of govt’s agenda must be rescuing the NHS

Responding to the National Audit Office report which said that the ‘scale of the challenges facing the NHS today and foreseeable in the years ahead is unprecedented’, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, child benefit, daisy cooper, ed davey, NHS, tim farron, tory leadership and water companies | 4 Comments

5 June 2024 – the Scottish and Welsh press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 5th June 2024 - 11:15 pm

Scottish Liberal Democrats launch plans to end SNP’s sewage scandal
Rennie responds to SNP’s national education agency announcement
“Vaughan Gething must go” – Welsh Lib Dems react to no confidence result

Scottish Liberal Democrats launch plans to end SNP’s sewage scandal

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton and deputy leader Wendy Chamberlain have today said the SNP Government is “neck-deep in failure” as they launched their party’s plans to clamp down on sewage dumping in Scotland’s rivers during a campaign visit to the River Almond.

Research by the party shows that sewage was dumped in the River Almond for a total of 148 hours in 2023 alone. This figure could be much higher as only one part of the river is monitored for sewage overflows. Residents living near the Almond claim that the water has become discoloured, stating that “foaming and fungus” had appeared in its surface.

Across Scotland, there were more than 21,000 sewage dumps logged in 2023 alone, up from 19,676 in 2022. However, the problem is likely to be far worse because only a small fraction of sewage discharges are monitored.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have launched plans for a Clean Water Act that would see:

Scotland’s Victorian sewage network updated;
Every sewage dump monitored and published with binding targets for their reduction;
A blue flag system for Scotland’s rivers;
A complete ban on the release of sewage in protected areas such as bathing waters.

The proposals for Scotland are part of a UK-wide campaign by the Liberal Democrats to clean up waterways and get governments to take action.

Posted in News, Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Also tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, education policy, jane dodds, senedd, wendy chamberlain and willie rennie | 2 Comments

2 June 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 2nd June 2024 - 11:45 pm

Lib Dems call for new protections for rivers and coastlines as sewage dumped over 100,000 times in bathing water areas
Rennie writes to Justice Secretary following FAI report on M9 crash
Cole-Hamilton responds to £450m EU funding revelation
Cole-Hamilton speaks ahead of first Scottish leaders’ debate

Lib Dems call for new protections for rivers and coastlines as sewage dumped over 100,000 times in bathing water areas

Rivers to be given new protected status against sewage discharges with current government scheme branded “toothless”

Party uncovers water firms have discharged sewage over 100,000 times in current bathing water status areas

Lib Dems set out “boldest manifesto on cleaning up our rivers and coastlines”

The Liberal Democrats have announced a massive expansion of marine protected areas and a new Blue Flag status for rivers will be included in their general election manifesto.

In response to sewage being pumped into bathing water status rivers, the party has announced plans for new Blue Flag rivers, setting legally binding targets to prevent sewage dumping in those sites. Blue Flag rivers would give special protected status for swimmers and wildlife.

The current government bathing water scheme has failed to protect waterways from sewage discharges by only requiring increased water quality testing. Analysis by the Liberal Democrats has found since 2020, water companies have discharged sewage into bathing water areas 105,347 times, equating to a staggering 694,487 hours worth of sewage.

The two worst offending companies were United Utilities, which dumped sewage into the Lake District, and South West Water, found to be polluting beaches in Cornwall and Devon.

The Liberal Democrats are also announcing new plans to protect coastal marine wildlife, which would see the expansion of the blue belt of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to cover at least 50% of the UK territorial waters by 2030.

Marine environments are currently in a state of crisis due to sewage and plastic pollution. The new target on MPAs would be achieved by working in partnership with UK Overseas Territories, as well as mandating the government to monitor the sites.

The latest announcement on water quality follows the party announcing its plans to abolish Ofwat, introducing a new regulator with greater powers, as well as a ban on water company executive bonuses.

Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, ed davey, EU funding, leaders debate, police scotland and willie rennie | Leave a comment

29 May 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 29th May 2024 - 11:20 pm

Sewage fine proposals: Letting water companies off the hook would be “utter disgrace”
Almost 340,000 children on mental health waiting lists as postcode lottery leaves some waiting over a year
Number starting apprenticeships in England has fallen by a third
Welsh Liberal Democrats to vote against Welsh First Minister Vaughan Gething in no-confidence vote
Highland MP comments on road death figures
Jardine responds to homeless being “sent out” of Edinburgh ahead of Taylor Swift concert

Sewage fine proposals: Letting water companies off the hook would be “utter disgrace”

Responding to proposals that could see financially stressed water companies receive fewer or no penalties for sewage pollution, Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

Any attempt to let these polluting giants off the hook would be an utter disgrace.

This plan is proof Ofwat should be scrapped. This Conservative government has allowed this toothless regulator to stagger on too long.

It is time someone finally stood up to these water firms.

Almost 340,000 children on mental health waiting lists as postcode lottery leaves some waiting over a year

Liberal Democrats call for a mental health professional in every primary and secondary school

Ed Davey warns the Conservative party has “abandoned parents and children” as he sets out urgent plan to fix the crisis in young people’s mental health

336,886 children on mental health waiting lists, some waiting an average of 15 months to be seen in stark postcode lottery

Almost 340,000 children and young people are on mental health waiting lists with some areas seeing average waits of 15 months, House of Commons Library research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

Posted in News, Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Also tagged apprenticeships, child mental health, christine jardine, ed davey, first minister, homelessness, jamie stone, jane dodds, munira wilson, road safety, senedd and tim farron | 2 Comments

28 May 2024 – today’s press releases, the Scottish edition

By Mark Valladares | Tue 28th May 2024 - 11:01 pm

Cole-Hamilton meets anti-sewage campaigners as he reveals Scotland’s worst affected rivers
Equivalent of more than 1 in 7 Scots are on a waiting list
Cole-Hamilton: Urgent action needed on A&E waiting times

Cole-Hamilton meets anti-sewage campaigners as he reveals Scotland’s worst affected rivers

Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Alex Cole-Hamilton today met anti-sewage campaigners in Edinburgh as the party published new analysis which reveals the worst rivers in Scotland for sewage dumping.

Sewage was dumped into Scotland’s rivers for a shocking 183,832 hours last year, with 16,010 sewage spills in total. This is equivalent to an average of over 44 sewage dumps into rivers every single day.

The 10 worst rivers for duration of sewage dumping in 2023 were:

River Carron
Clyde Estuary
River Clyde
Biggar Burn
River Nith
Clyde Estuary/Firth of Clyde
Cluden Water
River Ayr
Leader Water
Ladywell Burn

Sewage was dumped into the River Carron for 17,781 hours in 2023, and the Clyde Estuary saw the most individual sewage dumps with 2,090.

Alex met local anti-sewage campaigners Jack Caldwell and Hal Osler at the picturesque Shore in Leith where sewage is dumped directly into the Water of Leith by the government-owned water company.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

On doorstep after doorstep, people are telling me how disgusted they are that sewage is being pumped into their rivers.

Last year there were an average of 44 sewage dumps into rivers across Scotland every single day, but even this disgusting figure may be an underestimate as the vast majority of sewage dumps are not monitored.

The Water of Leith, where I am today, is one of many rivers where there is absolutely no monitoring of sewage dumping, even though we know it is happening.

Communities all across Scotland are rightly furious that their local rivers are being spoiled while they face huge price rises from the government-owned water company and its executives are pocketing bumper bonuses. SNP ministers are spin doctors for outdated sewage standards.

Liberal Democrats have led the campaign to turn the tide on the sewage scandal. If you elect a Liberal Democrat MP you will get a hardworking local champion who is focused on getting the sewage out of our rivers and winning the change our country desperately needs.

Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged a and e waiting times, Alex Cole-Hamilton and NHS waiting lists | 8 Comments

28 May 2024 – today’s press releases, the Federal edition

By Mark Valladares | Tue 28th May 2024 - 10:00 pm

Triple Lock Plus promise is “empty” as Conservatives accused of “hypocrisy”
Lib Dems call for community environmental experts to sit on water company boards
Apprenticeships: treatment of apprentices as second-class workers will only continue under the Conservatives

Triple Lock Plus promise is “empty” as Conservatives accused of “hypocrisy”

Responding to Mel Stride’s morning round, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said:

The sheer hypocrisy of the Conservatives to claim they are on the side of pensioners is laughable at best and dishonest at worst.

Our nation’s pensioners have been clobbered by stealth taxes, and failed on social care – these promises are empty.

This is a once-in-a-generation election and we’re seeing more and more pensioners back the fair deal being put forward by the Liberal Democrats, especially where it’s a two-horse race between us and the Conservatives.

Lib Dems call for community environmental experts to sit on water company boards

Ed Davey announces new reforms to hold the water industry to account on a visit to the Lake District

BBC recently uncovered millions of litres of raw sewage was illegally pumped into Lake Windermere

Liberal Democrats have also called for Ofwat to be replaced by a tougher regulator to end the sewage scandal

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey will today announce his party’s manifesto will include a pledge to put community environmental experts on water company boards to hold water bosses to account for the sewage scandal and the urgent action we need to end it.

The party has already announced it would scrap the failing regulator Ofwat and ban water CEO bonuses, and will today outline more bold reforms of the water industry.

Posted in News and Press releases | Also tagged apprenticeships, ed davey, munira wilson, ofwat, pensioners, personal tax allowance and sarah olney | 1 Comment

14 billion litres of sewage pumped into the River Thames last year

By NewsHound | Mon 27th May 2024 - 8:33 pm

Liberal Democrats uncover “disgusting revelation” from Information Request to Thames Water

South West London site suffers from over 500 million litres of sewage in just one day

Liberal Democrats call for Thames Water to be “ripped up”

The River Thames has suffered from at least 14.2 billion litres of sewage in 2023, the Liberal Democrats have discovered.

Environment Information Requests by the party has revealed that since 2020, at least 85.9 billion litres of sewage has been pumped into the capital’s river.

Water firms have no legal obligation to report the volume of sewage discharged, only the duration of the discharge.

However, the Liberal Democrats have now found that Thames Water do operate some sewage monitors which measure volume due to an agreement with the Environment Agency.

The capital’s water firm used volume sewage monitors whilst constructing the Thames Tideway project. These are the only known sewage monitors of their kind fitted in the country, and do not cover the entire network. The total volume of sewage discharged into the Thames is therefore likely to be significantly higher than these figures.

It was noted Thames Water also failed to provide data for the month of February.

Posted in News and Press releases | Also tagged sarah olney and thames water | 3 Comments

15 May 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 15th May 2024 - 11:58 pm

Windermere illegal sewage dumps: A complete scandal that can’t go on
PMQs: Armed forces homes only to be repaired in emergencies as PM refuses to stump up extra cash
Sewage vote: Conservative MPs vote against law that would have sent water companies to court
80,000 Scottish households face mortgage rate hike by November
Accounts Commission report shows councils have faced a scythe to their funds
“Deliver a payment scheme that farmers can have faith in” – Welsh Lib Dems call for Welsh Gov to listen to farmers over SFS reforms

Windermere illegal sewage dumps: A complete scandal that can’t go on

Responding to the news that untreated sewage was illegally pumped into Lake Windermere, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

This is a scandal. We can’t let them get away with this any longer.

The public are rightly furious that their favourite local rivers and lakes are being spoiled while water company bosses accept huge bonuses.

I hope Parliament accept my amendment today which could see water company bosses prosecuted for sewage pollution.

Rishi Sunak and his government must finally take tough action to tackle sewage dumping now instead of cosying up with the big water company bosses.

PMQs: Armed forces homes only to be repaired in emergencies as PM refuses to stump up extra cash

The Prime Minister today refused to commit extra cash for repairs for armed forces families homes despite the Head of Accommodation for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation revealing that military families could only expect repairs to their home in emergencies.

The lack of money for repairs was revealed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation’s new Head of Accommodation in her first update to military families this month.

Air Commodore Leah Griffin assured families that she was working to challenge the budget settlement but said non-urgent repairs and home improvements were “not currently affordable”.

Air Commodore Griffin also said that she was having to “make the case for investing in Service family housing” due to finances in the DIO that are “more challenging than ever”.

It comes as serving personnel and their families are having important requests for home repairs and upgrades denied as a lack of funding means only emergency work is being approved.

This is despite long-running problems that have seen many families forced to live in damp, cold and mouldy accommodation and troops put up in shipping style containers at Tern Hill Barracks.

Lib Dem MP Helen Morgan challenged Rishi Sunak over his commitment to the armed forces today at PMQs after this shocking admission. In response, the Prime Minister refused to commit to any additional funding to address this situation.

The North Shropshire MP has had constituents report to her that their military housing has experienced horror stories ranging from exploding boilers to collapsing roofs. In one case, a constituent recently required alterations to their shower to access it after major surgery but was told this was not possible due to the lack of budget for housing repairs. The problem was only fixed when Helen became involved.

The news undermines the Prime Minister’s claims to be prioritising defence and the Government’s recent commitment to bringing all military accommodation up to the Decent Homes Standard – a pledge that came in response to a proposed law change from Helen Morgan who has been a long-time campaigner on this issue.

In response to the Prime Minister’s answer, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire Helen Morgan MP said:

Rishi Sunak talks a big game about defence but he isn’t even prepared to guarantee service families decent quality homes to live in.

Military morale is lower than ever because those who serve our country have been subject to years of neglect by this Conservative government.

Service people put their lives on the line to keep us and our allies safe. The least they should get in return is a clean, warm and safe home.

Our armed forces deserve a Government that takes their needs seriously and backs up its words with real actions.

That means upgrading military housing and removing repair contracts from companies that don’t do their job.

We used to talk about building homes fit for heroes – and that’s the very least we can deliver.

Posted in News, Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Also tagged armed forces, christine jardine, farming, helen morgan, jane dodds, local government funding, mortgages, tim farron, water pollution and willie rennie | Leave a comment

1 May 2024 – yesterday’s other press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 2nd May 2024 - 8:30 am

Sadiq Khan’s record of failure exposed
Fiefdoms of filth: Scottish Lib Dems unveil new sewage league table
Lib Dems on verge of historic breakthrough in London
“Bringing truth back into politics”- Welsh Lib Dems back anti-deception proposal
Rennie speaks in motion of no confidence in Scottish Government

Sadiq Khan’s record of failure exposed

Sadiq Khan has once again failed to deliver on key manifesto promises, says Liberal Democrat London Mayoral candidate Rob Blackie.

On the eve of the elections he listed 2021 manifesto pledges that the London Mayor failed to implement:

Deliver a ferry at Hammersmith Bridge
End rough sleeping
Pilot a new City Hall housing developer to directly build

…

Posted in London, News, Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Also tagged 2024 london mayoral election, Alex Cole-Hamilton, fake news, jane dodds, london assembly elections 2024, rob blackie, vote of no confidence and willie rennie | 1 Comment

1 May 2024 – yesterday’s Federal press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 2nd May 2024 - 7:30 am

Waters containing shellfish suffer from 200,000 hours worth of sewage
Conservatives “legalising car theft” as over three in four cases go unsolved
Up to 1 million pensioners in Tory seats to be dragged into paying income tax
Davey: Time for Sunak to face the music

Waters containing shellfish suffer from 200,000 hours worth of sewage

Amount of sewage spilled into shellfish water jumps by a fifth

South West Water and Southern Water sewage discharges into shellfish water doubles

Liberal Democrats call for urgent action and increased testing

This year saw a large jump in the number of hours sewage was discharged into waters containing shellfish, Liberal Democrat analysis of Environment Agency data shows.

Last year, high levels of E.coli were discovered in oysters and mussels In Cornwall, leading to the closure of 11 shellfish fishing waters, with the Environment Agency blaming sewage discharges.

Now, it has been revealed that water firms in England discharged 192,248 hours worth of sewage into shellfish areas, up 21% from the year before (158,797 hours).

The worst offender was South West Water, which doubled the hours of sewage dumped into shellfish water from 49,863 in 2022, to 98,149 last year. Their total sewage spills into these designated areas also rose to a staggering 12,927.

Southern Water also doubled the hours of sewage discharged into these areas, to 72,943 hours this year.

Since 2020, there have been 108,360 sewage spills into shellfish designated waters.

Some of the country’s best known fishing areas have been hit by these dumps. The longest spills recorded were:

Chichester Harbour: A total of 6542 hours of sewage discharged over 286 spills

Exe: A total of 4089 hours of sewage discharged over 214 spills

Morecambe Bay: A total of 3927 hours of sewage discharged over 223 spills

The Liberal Democrats have called for an urgent investigation into water quality in shellfish habitats, as well as a clampdown of sewage being discharged into waters used by the fishing industry.

Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson, Tim Farron MP said:

This environmental scandal is putting wildlife at risk of unimaginable levels of pollution. The food we eat, and the British fisheries industry, must be protected from raw sewage.

The public will be rightly furious that England’s precious shellfish, including lobsters and crabs, are also being subjected to filthy sewage dumping.

We need the Environment Agency to carry out an emergency investigation into the water quality of shellfish habitat. Ministers need to clampdown on water firms polluting fishing waters. It is a national scandal that this Conservative government is letting water firms destroy shellfish habitat. It is getting worse on their watch and there will be real concerns for the fishing industry if this trend continues.

Conservatives “legalising car theft” as over three in four cases go unsolved

The Liberal Democrats have accused the Conservative Government of “legalising car theft” as new figures reveal that in 2023, three in four car theft cases went unsolved and police took up to 24 hours to respond to calls.

The Home Office’s own latest figures show that in 2023, a whopping 108,934 cases of car theft went unsolved – equivalent to 298 cases a day. This accounted for a staggering 77% of all car thefts recorded. Meanwhile, just 3% of cases resulted in a suspect being charged or summonsed.

Posted in News and Press releases | Also tagged Alistair Carmichael, car thefts, Conservative chaos, ed davey, pensioners, sarah olney, tax threshold and tim farron | 4 Comments

19 April 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 19th April 2024 - 10:00 pm

River Thames Tsar should be created to tackle sewage crisis
Menzies Scandal: Ethics adviser must investigate Conservative Chief Whip
Sick note speech: Sunak blaming British people for failures on NHS and economy
Lib Dems respond to SNP interview on ditched climate targets

River Thames Tsar should be created to tackle sewage crisis

Liberal Democrat Leader calls for new government appointed role to hold Thames Water to account for sewage pollution

New role could pave the way for wider reforms of water industry with increased environmental accountability and new representation on water company boards

Ed Davey will make the announcement during a local elections visit to the River Mole in Esher and Walton today

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a new River Thames Tsar to be appointed by the government, in a bid to hold the country’s biggest water firm to account.

Leader Ed Davey visits the River Mole in Esher and Walton, a marginal Surrey constituency, to announce the policy. The Esher and Walton constituency was in the top 100 worst for sewage dumping last year and saw a staggering 135% increase in spills.

This policy is part of the party’s plan for water industry reform, including transforming water companies into “Public Benefit Companies”, by ensuring environmental experts sit on water utility boards. The reforms aim to put an end to water companies putting profit before the environment. The Liberal Democrats have also called for Ofwat to be abolished, so a new tougher water regulator can be created.

The new River Thames Tsar proposed by the Liberal Democrats would have various roles, including:

Attending Thames Water board meetings
Hosting public meetings with river users and environmental groups
Ensuring the Environment Agency follows up on reports of sewage pollution into the Thames and its tributaries

The latest policy announcement follows the Government’s decision to appoint a River Wye Tsar last week, amid concerns of agricultural pollution. The Liberal Democrats are calling for the new River Thames Tsar to have a high public profile, with Feargal Sharkey and Steve Backshall suggested as possible candidates.

Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, climate change, daisy cooper, ed davey, health; mental health; and tory sleaze | 1 Comment

17 April 2024 – today’s press releases (part 1)

By Mark Valladares | Wed 17th April 2024 - 11:15 pm

Back after a few days on grandparent duty…

Inflation figures: Nobody will notice this in their pockets
Three in four of worst hit constituencies for sewage dumping held by Conservative MPs
Mark Menzies scandal: Sunak must suspend the Whip

Inflation figures: Nobody will notice this in their pockets

Responding to the latest inflation figures, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said:

Nobody will notice this in their pockets, with mortgage bills still skyrocketing after Liz Truss crashed the economy, and prices still so much higher than last year. By patting themselves on the back for this record, Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt have proved just how out of touch they are.

Conservative Chancellors have presided over the worst cost of living crisis in living memory. The blame lies squarely with their gross economic incompetence.

Three in four of worst hit constituencies for sewage dumping held by Conservative MPs

75 of the the top 100 constituencies for the worst number of sewage spills last year held by Conservative MPs

Rishi Sunak’s constituency was the 10th worst hit in England, with the duration of sewage dumping doubling to 42,000 hours in 2023

Theresa May’s seat of Maidenhead saw a staggering forty fold increase in duration of sewage dumping

Lib Dems warn of a “reckoning at the ballot box” from former Conservative voters furious about the sewage scandal

96% of Conservative held seats in England saw an increase in sewage dumping last year, with the worst constituency for sewage dumping facing 100,000 hours worth of spills, Liberal Democrat analysis of House of Commons Library research has shown.

Geoffrey Cox’s seat of Torridge and West Devon was the worst affected last year by sewage dumping, facing 97,000 hours worth of sewage being pumped into the area’s waterways, a 65% increase on 2022’s figure This was followed by Central Devon, Skipton and Ripon, Penrith and The Border, and Totnes, all of which experienced over 50,000 hours worth of dumps by water companies.

450 of the 508 seats in England saw a rise in the duration of sewage dumping and 456 saw a rise in the number of spills in 2023 compared to the previous year. In a staggering 96% of Conservative held seats in England there was an increase in sewage spills last year.

Posted in News and Press releases | Also tagged daisy cooper, economy, sarah olney, tim farron and tory sleaze | 2 Comments

12 April 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 12th April 2024 - 10:45 pm

GDP figures: Economy stuck in the slow lane
Defence: Only the Lib Dems are committed to reversing troop cuts
Energy Minister stands down: Drumbeat of Conservative resignations is becoming deafening
More than half of councils see rise in sewage dumps
Jardine Secures Commons Debate on Consular Assistance

GDP figures: Economy stuck in the slow lane

Responding to the latest GDP figures, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said:

This sluggish growth shows the UK economy is stuck in the slow lane under the Conservatives.

This government has no plan to fix the damage they’ve done to people’s living standards.

Instead we have a prime minister and Chancellor totally out of touch with families feeling the pinch. The only way to get the economy moving again is to kick this economically illiterate Conservative government out of office.

Defence: Only the Lib Dems are committed to reversing troop cuts

Responding to Labour and the Conservatives announcements on defence policy today, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

Only the Liberal Democrats are committed to reversing the Conservatives’ irresponsible cuts to Army troop numbers. With Putin waging war in Europe and Trump threatening the future of NATO, cutting the British Army by 10,000 troops is a major threat to our long-term national security.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives and Labour only offer meaningless talk about vague aspirations for some unspecified time in the future.

Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, christine jardine, conservative leadership, daisy cooper, economic growth, ed davey, military, right to consular assistance and sarah olney | 3 Comments

3 April 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 3rd April 2024 - 10:30 pm

Aid worker deaths: Davey calls on government to suspend arms sales to Israel
Royal Mail proposal to cut second class deliveries: Another slap in the face
London Lib Dems response to Khan economic announcement
Worst hit rivers for sewage dumps revealed as Lib Dems call for new Blue Flag status
Rennie responds to CalMac boss stepping down

Aid worker deaths: Davey calls on government to suspend arms sales to Israel

The Liberal Democrats have called on the government to suspend arms sales to Israel, following the deaths of seven aid workers including three British nationals in an Israeli air strike in Gaza.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

The deaths of these British aid workers in Gaza is an absolute disgrace. These brave people were trying to help starving families in Gaza.

Clearly, the thought that British-made arms could have been used in strikes such as these is completely unacceptable.

The government must take swift action to suspend arms exports to Israel. We must redouble our efforts to secure an immediate bilateral ceasefire.

Royal Mail proposal to cut second class deliveries: Another slap in the face

Responding to the news that Royal Mail wants to reduce second class deliveries to three days a week, Liberal Democrat Business Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said:

These plans are a slap in the face for families being asked to pay more for less.

The cost of first and second class stamps has gone up sharply in recent years. It risks creating a cost of postage crisis, as people feel forced to pay for first class stamps because second class delivery days are being slashed.

People shouldn’t have to pay the price for Royal Mail’s failure, after executives missed their delivery targets and paid themselves eye-watering bonuses.

London Lib Dems response to Khan economic announcement

Responding to Sadiq Khan’s joint economic announcement with Rachel Reeves today (Weds), Rob Blackie, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London, said:

Labour’s plan ignores London’s biggest economic problem – Brexit. Labour are too scared to say that Brexit has damaged London’s economy, making us poorer and costing us jobs.

For instance, technology companies now have to spend time and money complying with two data laws, one each from the EU and the UK. And too many European citizens in London are made to feel unwelcome.

As Liberal Democrat Mayor I will campaign to fix the damage done by Brexit, and bring in a London passport to protect London’s EU citizen rights.

Posted in London, News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged arms sales, economics, ed davey, ferry service, gaza, israel, rob blackie, royal mail, sarah olney and willie rennie | 28 Comments

30-31 March 2024 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 31st March 2024 - 10:30 pm

Revealed: 31,000 sewage discharges into bathing areas last year
Water firms committing “environmental cover up” as one in seven sewage monitors are faulty
Khan quietly ditches ‘Track My Crime’ victim tool

Revealed: 31,000 sewage discharges into bathing areas last year

Sewage dumped average of 86 times a day last year into bathing water sites, up 47% on previous year

Lib Dems warn families visiting seaside over Easter bank holiday will be “horrified” that popular beaches are being ruined by rise in sewage dumping

Allonby in Cumbria the worst hit bathing site with 4,500 hours of sewage dumped last year

The Liberal Democrats have accused water companies of committing “environmental vandalism” after the party’s analysis has revealed that there were 31,000 sewage discharges in bathing areas last year, an increase of 47% compared to 2022.

Shockingly this amounts to sewage being dumped an average of 86 times a day into bathing water areas last year, subjecting swimmers to potential serious health risks. The Liberal Democrats warned that families visiting the seaside over the Easter Bank holiday would be horrified that popular beaches are being ruined by sewage.

The analysis looks at the amount of sewage dumped into beaches officially classified as bathing waters, meaning they should be protected from pollution. In total sewage was discharged for 228,000 hours into bathing areas across England in 2023, an increase of 80% on the previous year.

The worst bathing area for sewage dumping last year was in Allonby where United Utilities dumped over 4,500 hours worth of sewage. This was followed by Haverigg where United Utilities dumped 3,600 hours of sewage into bathing spots, then Middleton-on-sea where 3,500 hours of sewage was dumped by Southern Water.

United Utilities were also the worst offending company overall with 10,467 sewage spills over 76,259 hours dumped into bathing sites. South West Water dumped the second largest amount of sewage into bathing sites last year with 8,500 spills over 59,000 hours. This was followed by Southern Water, Wessex Water, and Thames Water respectively who were all responsible for dumping over 11,000 hours worth of sewage into bathing spots last year.

Posted in London, News and Press releases | Also tagged crime, rob blackie and tim farron | 6 Comments

27 March 2024 – today’s press releases (part 2)

By Mark Valladares | Wed 27th March 2024 - 10:30 pm

Ed Davey warns Sunak facing sewage local elections backlash on campaign visit to Dorset
Khan already failing on Met recruitment
Sewage spills rise: 21,660 “disgusting” sewage dumps in 2023
Scottish Liberal Democrats respond to Housing Bill
Cole-Hamilton responds to hackers’ threat of publishing NHS stolen data
Rennie: Ministers’ fingerprints all over Tydeman sacking

Ed Davey warns Sunak facing sewage local elections backlash on campaign visit to Dorset

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey will today warn that Rishi Sunak is facing a “sewage backlash” at the ballot box in May’s local elections, on a visit to West Dorset as part of his campaign tour of the West Country.

Ed Davey will be meeting CEO of Surfers Against Sewage, Giles Bristow, and visiting West Bay beach, a popular tourist destination where pollution alerts were put in place after raw sewage was discharged last year.

The Liberal Democrats have led the campaign in Westminster to tackle the sewage scandal since 2021, and it’s been a key issue in their big victories in previous local election campaigns and four parliamentary by-election wins.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for the water industry to be “ripped up from top to bottom” to ensure profit is no longer put above environmental goals, and the creation of a new tougher regulator to replace Ofwat. Since the Liberal Democrats were the first party to call for a ban on water firm executive bonuses over two years ago, a number of water CEOs have given theirs up.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

Rishi Sunak and Conservative MPs are facing a sewage backlash after years of blocking tough measures to crack down on water firms. The water industry needs to be ripped up from top to bottom, to stop profits and shareholders’ dividends driving everything. It is time to start again.

Sunak may have bottled a General Election, but he cannot hide from voters in the local elections where communities will voice real anger at this environmental scandal.

From Dorset to Yorkshire, lifelong Conservative voters across the country are switching to the Liberal Democrats because they’re fed up with seeing their rivers and beaches ruined by sewage.

Under this Conservative government both sewage in our rivers and water company profits have increased hand in hand. Enough is enough: it is clear the only way to end this sewage scandal is to boot the Conservatives out of government.

Khan already failing on Met recruitment

Responding to Sadiq Khan’s announcement that a possible Labour Government would give London more resources to recruit police officers, Lib Dem Mayoral Candidate Rob Blackie said:

This smacks of another pre-election gimmick from the Mayor. Surely any future Government wouldn’t deny London the resources it needs if it decides to elect a different party into the Mayoralty?

In any case, the Mayor is already failing on police recruitment. Numbers are going backwards and he has had to hand money back to the Government for his lack of success. So Londoners will be sceptical. Sadiq Khan has made similar promises before and not delivered.

Under Sadiq Khan’s leadership, a police officer told the Casey enquiry into the Met police that detection rates for sexual offences and rape had fallen so low that ‘it may as well be legal’ in London.

Today the Metropolitan police are catching rapists half as often as when Sadiq Khan became Mayor in 2016. And 6,000 police are stuck in the back office instead of the frontline.

This is not a policing record to be proud of. The Liberal Democrats’ top priority will be to fix the Met.

Sewage spills rise: 21,660 “disgusting” sewage dumps in 2023

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today demanded that the SNP and Greens stop defending outdated sewage standards as new Scottish Water figures revealed a 10% increase in the number of sewage dumps in 2023.

Posted in London, News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged 2024 local elections, Alex Cole-Hamilton, data protection, ed davey, ferry service, hacking, housing crisis, metropolitan police, rob blackie and willie rennie | 24 Comments

27 March 2024 – today’s press releases (part 1)

By Mark Valladares | Wed 27th March 2024 - 9:30 pm

NHS satisfaction survey: Govt can’t be trusted with NHS
Sewage spills rise: Ed Davey calls for national environmental emergency to be declared
Lib Dem comment on E.coli in Thames
Scotland’s sewage crisis 40% worse than previously thought
Bus journeys plummet by 31%

NHS satisfaction survey: Govt can’t be trusted with NHS

Responding to the British Social Attitudes survey on NHS satisfaction, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

This is a damning assessment of the Government’s management of the NHS. Years and years of neglect and incompetence has run our NHS into the ground.

NHS staff work around the clock to see thousands and thousands of patients but the public are understandably frustrated that they’re often waiting too long to see a GP, or to get a hospital appointments for diagnosis and treatment.

The public know this Conservative Government cannot be trusted with our NHS, and they will want to deliver their verdict at the next general election.

Sewage spills rise: Ed Davey calls for national environmental emergency to be declared

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has called on the government to declare a national environmental emergency after the number of sewage spills in 2023 increased by 54% on the previous year, putting ecosystems already at breaking point on the brink of collapse.

As part of this national environmental emergency, the Liberal Democrats are calling for an urgent meeting of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) to review the impact of sewage spills on human health – for river and sea swimmers in particular. Campaign group Surfers Against Sewage released a report last year showing almost 2,000 people reported getting sick last year after swimming in the sea or rivers.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

The Liberal Democrats have been warning this Conservative government for years that the sewage scandal is ruining the country’s rivers and beaches and pushing ecosystems to the brink of collapse.

Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party have failed to listen and as a result sewage spills are increasing, our precious countryside is being destroyed and swimmers are falling sick.

It is time for this Conservative government to finally deal with this disgraceful situation and declare a national environmental emergency. That must include convening an urgent SAGE meeting to look into the impact of sewage spills on people’s health.

Only by treating the sewage scandal with the urgency it demands can we save our rivers and beaches for future generations to enjoy.

Lib Dem comment on E.coli in Thames

Commenting on findings of high E.coli levels in the Thames by River Action today, Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate Rob Blackie said:

This is the consequence of 72 billion litres of raw sewage pumped into the Thames in London since 2020.

It amounts to an environment catastrophe in the capital.

The Conservative government have let water companies get away with polluting for too long. It must crack down on Thames Water.

Instead of action, we have seen huge increases in sewage dumped into the river.

If elected I will work to stop sewage being dumped into our rivers and campaign to make water companies pay for the damage they’ve done.

Scotland’s sewage crisis 40% worse than previously thought

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today accused the Scottish Government of being “defenders of outdated sewage standards” as figures published by Scottish Water revealed that that there were an additional 5,668 sewage dumps in Scotland in 2022, on top of the initial 14,008 that were reported in March.

Posted in London, News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, bus services, daisy cooper, daniel o'malley, ed davey, NHS and rob blackie | Leave a comment

21 November 2023 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 21st November 2023 - 10:30 pm

Surfers against Sewage Report: “Shameful” that people are falling sick from swimming in sewage
400,000 patients waiting for NHS treatment since last Autumn Statement
Sexual harassment survey: Comment on BTP findings
Welsh Lib Dems urge speed up of Net Zero Plan
Welsh Lib Dems call more for ambitious clean air target
Welsh Lib Dems lay down their demands for Wales from upcoming Autumn statement

Surfers against Sewage Report: “Shameful” that people are falling sick from swimming in sewage

Responding to the Surfers Against Sewage report which has found bathing sites in the UK are failing to meet minimum safety levels, while hundreds of people are falling sick due to sewage pollution, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

It is shameful that so many popular swimming spots are being ruined and people are getting seriously ill because of filthy sewage dumping. Water companies are being allowed to get away with committing environmental vandalism on a huge scale while pocketing huge bonuses.

This is an insult to families across the country who just want to swim at their local river or beach without worrying about falling sick because of disgusting sewage. It’s about time Conservative ministers cracked down on sewage dumping, starting with banning bonuses for water company bosses until this filthy practice is brought to an end.

400,000 patients waiting for NHS treatment since last Autumn Statement

The NHS backlog has grown to 7.8 million since last year’s Autumn Statement, with almost 400,000 waiting for treatment since before November 2022

Liberal Democrat Leader calls on the Chancellor to bring down NHS waiting lists to get people back to work and boost economic growth

Ed Davey: “Any plan for economic growth needs a plan for urgent NHS action. Without a new NHS plan, tens of thousands of people will be left out of work, in pain, desperate for treatment.”

Nearly 400,000 patients have been on a waiting list to start NHS treatment since before last year’s Autumn Statement, research by the Liberal Democrats has been revealed.

This new analysis of NHS figures shows a staggering 391,122 patients have been stuck in a backlog waiting for consultant-led treatment since before last November’s Autumn Statement. Meanwhile, the number of patients stuck on NHS waiting lists has increased to 7.8 million, up 700,000 compared to last year.

It comes as new polling by the Liberal Democrats found that one in seven working age adults (15%) say they’ve had to take a significant length of time off work in the past year as they wait for NHS treatment or surgery for a health condition.

The Liberal Democrats are warning that these treatment backlogs are damaging economic growth and will continue to impact both the economy and people’s quality of life without a significant rescue package.

Posted in News and Press releases | Also tagged autumn statement 2023, clean air, ed davey, jane dodds, net zero, NHS waiting lists, rob blackie, sexual harassment and tim farron | Leave a comment

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