Let’s turn the tide on sewage at the next general election
The UK General election is fast approaching. And whilst we don’t know exactly when it’ll be, what we know for sure is the next election will be a massive opportunity to force the new government to take the action needed to End Sewage Pollution.
Every Member of Parliaments seat across the UK will be up for grabs at the next election. Meaning political parties and candidates are on the hunt for vote winning policies. And the public has made it clear that ending the sh*t that has been pouring into our rivers and ocean is a top priority.
We have seen a groundswell of interest in the awareness of the sewage agenda over the past year. Never before has water been so in the minds of the public and therefore, politicians. So, we now have the opportunity to make every single party put cleaning up waterways at the top of their election promises. But we need parties to go beyond vague promises. So we have done the hard work for them, and created The End Sewage Pollution Manifesto.
Created by water lovers and users united by an ambition to End Sewage Pollution, the 5 Point Plan sets out what government must do for rivers and the ocean to thrive. We have collaborated with regional ocean activists and grass root community groups. As well as national environmental campaign groups like the Rivers Trust and the Angling Trust and governing bodies like Swim England and British Canoeing. The result is a set of asks that will deliver for everybody who uses the water and for nature itself.
What’s in the Manifesto?
Our Manifesto includes 5 key calls that we want political parties to promise they will do ahead of the General Election. They are:
1. Enforce the law
We have the regulations and laws we need to End Sewage Pollution. Now we must enforce them.
2. Stop pollution for profit
Water companies’ first responsibility must be to the environment, not their shareholders and executives.
3. Prioritise high risk pollution
Take immediate targeted action to tackle the highest risk pollution events.
4. Empower a nature led approach
Harness the power of nature to End Sewage Pollution.
5. Reveal the truth
Deliver UK wide transparency about sewage pollution.
These 5 things are all things we know will tackle the problem, and we know are popular with people across the UK. That’s because this Manifesto bring together all the calls from our most recent petitions including the Dirty Money Petition, Bathing Water Designation petition and End Sewage Pollution petition. Which in total have the backing of hundreds of thousands of ocean activists.
So, if political parties want to make over 250,000 ocean activists believe voting for them will be a vote for change, they should take up our manifesto.
Click here to read the manifesto in full.
What are we doing with the Manifesto?
SAS HQ are taking our manifesto to policy makers and politicians along with our partners, to convince them to include our asks into their own manifestos. And in the coming months we will be ramping this up, attending political party conferences and events to make sure every political candidate has heard our message.
What can you do?
All of your campaigning and support over the last few years has led to this moment, where water quality will be a key election issue. So, celebrate your successes first and foremost!
We are busy working behind the scenes to create resources and tool kits that will help you to engage with your local candidates as the election rolls up. So, stay tuned for that. Until then, we would encourage you to get in touch with your local MP (or candidates if you know who they are) and share the manifesto with them, and explain why your vote hinges on them Ending Sewage Pollution.
The more noise we can make in support of our plans, the more likely we will see a government step up and #EndSewagePollution
You can use this template to craft an email to your local MP.
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