Penrith and the Border MP Neil Hudson has been accused of playing down the fact that sewage is dumped in the county’s lakes and rivers.
Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron, who represents Westmorland and Lonsdale, has been campaigning against sewage discharges, but was called alarmist and toxic by Conservative Dr Hudson. Dr Hudson said the Conservative Government was holding water companies to account.
But Mr Farron said: “It’s remarkable that Neil Hudson seems more angry with people campaigning to protect our lakes and rivers with than with the sewage being dumped there in the first place.
“I know from knocking on doors with Lib Dem councillors in Eden that this is an issue that people massively care about – Neil Hudson is completely on the wrong side of this argument.”
Speaking during an Urgent Question in Parliament on sewage, Mr Farron said: “It’s obvious to everybody who is watching that we have a colossal problem.
“Six million hours of sewage dumped every day, legally into our seas, lakes and rivers in the last year.
“In my part of the world, Morecambe Bay, 5,000 hours of sewage discharges onto the sands. A thousand hours into Windermere.
“Juxtapose that with £2.8bn-worth of profits to the water companies. A billion in shareholders’ dividends and the executives giving themselves 20% pay rises – 60% in the form of bonuses.
“Now I don’t know about you Mr Speaker but I thought bonuses were what you got when you did a good job.
“And all of this is done legally on the sanction of this Government. When will they make these discharges illegal and ensure that the water companies pump into making sure they protect homes, businesses, seas and lakes?”
However, Dr Hudson said: “I’ve been increasingly frustrated by the misinformation campaign against Conservative MPs which has been just as toxic as the unacceptable sewage discharges that our Conservative Government has committed to stamping out.
“Mr Farron claims I am ‘completely on the wrong side of the argument’. If Mr Farron thinks investing £56 billion to eradicate sewage pouring into our precious waterways is the wrong side of the argument, then I think he needs to reconsider his position urgently.
“That said, I actually welcomed his statement in the chamber. No doubt he took inspiration from when I raised the issues of bonuses five months ago in an EFRA Committee session. Better late than never…
“Ultimately our Victorian sewage system has been overlooked by politicians for more than 100 years and I’m proud to say we Conservatives have been the ones to take action with the toughest crackdown in history.
“I’ve been consistently banging the drum for the people of Penrith and The Border on the issue of sewage in the Commons, as a member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, and in the many letters, tabled questions and conversations I’ve had with ministers.
“I know constituents will look beyond the headlines to see the hard work my colleagues from the Conservative, Labour and Scottish National parties and I have done on the EFRA Committee to make a proactive and tangible impact for our natural landscapes. I’ve been clear on this issue, I’m proud of my record and a bit of fake news won’t stop me continuing my campaign to leave our environment in a better state than we found it.”
