A debate on the scourge of sewage discharges in Britain’s South West delivered a damning indictment of water companies and a call to arms for regulators and government alike. MPs across party lines have joined the fight for clean waterways in one of the most naturally blessed regions of Britain.
Westminster Hall echoed with passionate arguments, evidence-based critiques, and desperate pleas for reform. Opening the debate, Ben Maguire, Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, painted a bleak picture of the region’s waterways. He outlined the breadth of the issue, from environmental degradation to public health crises-
The charity Surfers Against Sewage reported a near tripling in illness complaints between 2021 and 2023.
MPs agreed that the South West is at a crossroads. Without urgent action, its rivers and coastlines face an existential threat. Criticism wasn’t solely aimed at water companies. Ofwat, the regulatory body, was branded “toothless and missing in action”.
