pollution – Saddleworth Liberal Democrats

15Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Save Our Rivers: Liberal Democrats call for Sewage Tax on river polluters

Borough news

Oldham’s Liberal Democrat councillors have called on government ministers to tax water companies responsible for over 750,000 sewage dumps over the last two years. Last year the Environment Agency found that every river in England suffered from pollution. All local rivers including the Beal, Irk, Medlock and Tame rivers failed the most recent chemical pollution tests carried out by the agency. Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader and Leader of the Opposition councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “It’s despicable that the Conservative government has allowed these harmful sewage dumps to happen in the first place. The very least a responsible government would do is to make these polluting companies pay for the clean-up. This pollution has a lasting effect on eco-systems for aquatic, bird and insect life not to mention the effect…

14Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

What a stink! Biggest water polluter backed by Conservative MPs

Parliamentary news

The Oldham Liberal Democrats have been shocked to read that North West water company, United Utilities, has the worst record for poisoning our local rivers with raw sewage – and that Conservative MPs chose to back them in a recent vote in Parliament. Figures published by the Environment Agency show that in 2020 water companies discharged raw sewage into rivers in England more than 400,000 times last year. Untreated effluent, which includes human excrement, wet wipes, and condoms, was released into waterways through overflows for more than three million hours in 2020. The biggest offender was North West water company United Utilities which did so for 726,450 hours, almost one quarter of the total. “Thank goodness, Mole, Rat, Toad and Badger, the four animal characters from Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in…

09Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

If the PM wants to make COP a success he should be turning to Beijing not flying to Glasgow

Parliamentary news

Responding to reports the Prime Minister will travel to Glasgow today, former Climate Change Secretary and Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “If Boris Johnson is really serious about getting a good deal at COP26 he should be going to Beijing not Glasgow. “There is still time for a good deal for the planet, but there is an awfully long way to go, especially to persuade China to go the extra mile. “The Prime Minister should therefore focus diplomatic efforts on President Xi - with the carrot of a climate progress dividend and the stick of new carbon taxes on Chinese imports into the UK and other western countries. “The UK must unite the West to get China into a better place. If Glasgow’s COP fails, we will…

09Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Sewage vote: Government ignores millions of people

Parliamentary news

Liberal Democrat MPs have voted against the Government's weak proposal to tackling sewage in local rivers. Commenting after the vote Liberal Democrat Communities & Rural Affairs Spokesperson Tim Farron MP said: "Today, the government ignored millions of people who demanded action to save our treasured rivers and lakes. This is a slap in the face for what has been one of the boldest and more inspiring environmental campaigns in recent years. "We needed to see legislation with real teeth today which gave water companies hard deadlines and targets. Instead, we have a flimsy new law which won't be strong enough to hold water companies to account. "We called today for a Sewage Tax, to make water companies pay for the mess they've made. The Liberal Democrats will continue to demand…

08Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Sewage Tax on water companies to raise £340 million for rivers

Parliamentary news

The Leader of the Liberal Democrats has called for a “Sewage Tax” on water companies to prevent raw sewage polluting rivers and lakes. Today MPs will vote again on the Environment Bill which includes new rules on sewage being dumped into rivers. Water companies pumped polluting and harmful raw sewage in national water sources over 400,000 times last year. The River Trust reveals more than half of England’s rivers are currently failing to pass cleanliness tests due to water companies actions. However, the government is proposing taxpayers foot the bill for sewage system improvements, instead of water companies. The “Sewage Tax” would tax the profits of water companies, which last year made pre-tax profits of £2.2 billion despite polluting Britain’s rivers with dangerous levels of sewage. The proposal would be…

05Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

China must phase out coal or face carbon border tax

Parliamentary news

Leader of the Liberal Democrats and former Climate and Energy Secretary Ed Davey used a visit to the COP26 summit in Glasgow to call for tougher international action against China in the fight against climate change. He called on Western countries to unite in getting China to agree to phase out the use of fossil fuels or face a carbon border tax, warning that a “carrot and stick approach” is needed to get the world’s largest polluter round the negotiating table. Ed Davey has negotiated more COPs than any other British politician, leading negotiations in Doha, Lima and Warsaw. Leader of the Liberal Democrats and former Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said: “This is Boris Johnson’s moment to bring the West together and put China under maximum pressure to phase…

26Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats call to save our rivers

Borough news

Oldham Liberal Democrats are calling for the UK Government to do more to improve the water quality of Britain’s rivers as one of their commitments at the upcoming COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow. Crompton Councillor Dave Murphy and Shaw Councillor Hazel Gloster will be proposing a motion to the next meeting of Oldham Council (3 November 2021) highlighting the urgent need for action, after discovering that the borough’s watercourses all failed recent tests for chemical pollution carried out by the Environment Agency and that the rivers Irk and Tame are under real threat. Proposer of the motion, Councillor Murphy said: “It is shocking that in 2019 only 14% of England’s rivers were rated ‘good’ by the Environment Agency, despite Conservative Government promises to improve the quality of watercourses over…

16Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Liberal Democrats call on public to support Clean Air Day

Borough news

This Thursday 17 June is National Clean Air Day, and Oldham Liberal Democrats councillors are asking residents of the borough to support the event to help improve our health and our environment. Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Oldham Liberal Democrats, said: “Many people will have noticed the lack of traffic during Lockdown and many more people took up exercise, walking and cycling, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now as we see the removal of the remaining lockdown restrictions, it would be great if we could avoid going back to our old habit of turning to our car for every journey. “Many of the short journeys we take in our daily lives, whether popping to the shops or for the school run, can be made on foot…

23Apr 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Ed Davey calls for £20bn clean air fund during election visit

Parliamentary news

Liberal Democrat Leader, Ed Davey MP, argues his party’s plan for massive new investment in clean air action would be a “treble dividend” for a local community’s health, environment and economy. With air pollution causing 40,000 early deaths a year and transport now the country’s biggest source of carbon emissions, the Liberal Democrats are making a boost to the nation’s health a key part of their strategy to tackle the climate emergency too. During a visit to Watford ahead of May’s elections, Ed Davey MP unveiled the Liberal Democrats’ proposals for a £20bn Community Clean Air fund - part of the party’s £150 billion Green Economic Recovery Plan. The fund would enable Councils and communities to spearhead a local transport revolution, to improve people’s transport choices. Arguing local air pollution is…

16Oct 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrat idea to reduce air pollution around schools

Borough news

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE asks for special restrictions to be placed on vehicles waiting outside of schools. This is to reduce air pollution. Restrictions apply at peak times in other parts of the UK to reduce air pollution in problem areas. Councillor Sykes wants to trial this locally for Oldham Schools. This could successfully reduce traffic and encourage more families to walk and cycle to school. The Greater Manchester Clean Air plan is unclear when it comes to its school’s policy and the Liberal Democrats want Oldham to lead the way. In the current version of the Greater Manchester Clean Air plan, the only mention of schools is a couple of sentences saying Greater Manchester Combined Authority should find ways to help people use their cars less. There is no…