The late summer sun of the past couple of weeks has coincided with the return of MPs to Westminster, where political debate is also heating up.

There are a number of important issues to contend with, but with COP26 just a couple of months away, I believe the environment must remain firmly top of the political agenda. Whilst global efforts to stem the tide of climate change are rightly at the forefront, I’m also working hard on environmental issues close to home.

For many, warm summer days stir nostalgic memories of refreshing river swims – but these happy memories are no longer being made. The failing health of our nation’s rivers is an incredibly concerning issue, but it is not too late to save them. Every river in England is polluted beyond legal limits and only 14% are in ‘good’ ecological health. Each and every day the health of our rivers is deteriorating after being repeatedly flooded with human sewage and suffering from the run-off of nutrient-rich animal slurry from agriculture.

I have already spoken with colleagues in Government and been in touch with district councils, Wessex Water, Natural England and the Environment Agency to discuss the phosphate issue that is preventing planning permissions from being granted across very much Somerset. I was also pleased to speak at the Somerset Rivers Authority workshop just a few weeks ago.

The declining health in our rivers is sadly linked to insufficient budget for the Environment Agency to carry out enforcement and pollution prevention. Each farm in England can now just expect one inspection every 263 years! Of course, I have every respect for our fantastic farmers here in Somerset who are excellent stewards of the environment. Enforcement isn’t about coming after farmers who care for their land but, quite the opposite, ensuring that our responsible local farmers are not undercut by other farms with little regard for environmental protection.

The recent funding boost for farmers to tackle water pollution is a welcome sign that the Government is taking these issues seriously – but it doesn’t fix the whole problem. This is why I am supporting River Action’s ‘Give Us Back Our Rivers’ campaign, which is calling on the Government to double environmental protection budgets. We must urgently clean up our rivers – to protect nature, fix our planning crisis, and to give us cleaner waterways to enjoy.

You can follow what I’m up to both in Westminster and Somerset at davidwarburton.org.uk/news.

Support Us

Thank you all so, so much for the love and appreciation you’ve shown us since we launched the New Blackmore Vale.

Please show your support and add a review on our Facebook page or on Google.