Almost half of Brits wouldn’t swim in sea as MP for Epsom & Ewell slams “damning indictment” of the state of our waterways

Helen Maguire, the Liberal Democrat MP for Epsom & Ewell, has said that the findings of a Liberal Democrat poll on the state of British seas “is shocking, but hardly surprising”.

A new poll commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, undertaken by Savanta, has found that nearly half of Brits (44%) would never swim in the sea during the summer.

The polling also found that 19% of respondents said that even if the Government hit its target of halving sewage spills by 2030, they would actually be less likely to swim in the sea and 45% of respondents said they would not swim in the sea at all.

Helen Maguire, Liberal Democrat MP for Epsom & Ewell, has called on the Government to do more to protect our “invaluable” waterways, and says that the new regulator has to be established as soon as possible and given the powers it needs to hold water companies accountable for sewage dumping.

Liberal Democrat MP for Epsom & Ewell, Helen Maguire, said:

“It’s a damning indictment of the state of our waterways. People across Epsom & Ewell are rightly furious about the national sewage scandal and successive Governments’ failures to hold these water companies to account.

“This polling is shocking, but hardly surprising. At every turn, water companies like Thames Water have been let off the hook, while executives take home huge bonuses and customers’ bills skyrocket. The Government has got to act more quickly and with greater ambition if they are to reverse the damage caused by the former Conservative government’s negligence.

“Labour needs to get a grip on this national sewage scandal. They can start by getting a new water regulator set up as soon as possible, with the powers it needs to truly hold water companies accountable. Tougher fines, levied swiftly, are also needed to hold sewage dumpers criminally responsible for their mistreatment of our seas and rivers.”