BORIS Johnson being forced to quit as Tory leader has been likened at Westminster to the dumping of sewage.
The parallel was drawn by Liberal Democrat peer Lord Oates, as he opened a parliamentary debate on polluting discharges into rivers by water companies, which coincided with the resignation statement.
The Prime Minister intends to remain in No 10 until his successor is elected, but he faces resistance to that plan from within his own party and the Opposition.
Speaking in the upper chamber, Lord Oates, who during the coalition was chief of staff to then deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, said: “I suppose we cannot blame colleagues if they are somewhat distracted from today’s debate by the farcical Conservative psycho-drama being played out up the road in Downing Street.
“Some may feel it could not be more appropriate that we are discussing the subject of sewage disposal.
“But certainly it is instructive to note that in the scandal of our polluted waterways also lies the story of a failure of leadership, in this instance of both Government and corporations, a story in which private interest has been put ahead of the public interest, and in which institutional failure has led to a collapse in public confidence.”
He told peers the scale of the sewage crisis “was staggering to comprehend”.
Earlier this year, figures showed raw sewage was dumped into English rivers and seas 372,533 times in 2021, with discharges totalling 2,667,452 hours.
Separate data has revealed just 14% of English rivers are of good ecological standard.
Lord Oates said: “The public have had enough of their rivers, lakes and coastal waters being despoiled by a mixture of Government inaction, regulatory failure and corporate irresponsibility and greed.
“It is well past time for the Government and their agencies to act decisively and bring an end to this sewage scandal.”
Responding for the Government, environment minister Lord Benyon revealed his local river was referred to by his wife as his “midlife crisis”.
“Which I suppose is better than a fast car or soaring political ambition,” he said.
He added: “I share members indignation and frustration that rivers are not in the quality and the state they should be in. That 14% figure is shaming.
“We have been putting sewage in one form or another into our rivers for centuries, but it has got out of hand, it has got to stop.”
As water minister in the Commons, he had been responsible for promoting the 15-mile Thames super-sewer, which will end the dumping of untreated effluent into the river.
The peer, whose first name is Richard, suggested it could be called “Dick’s drain”.
Lord Benyon went on: “Discharges from storm overflows not only impact the ecology of the receiving water body, but they can also impact public health where water bodies are used for recreational activities.
“We have been clear that the current use of overflows is completely unacceptable. They were only ever meant to be an emergency measure and now they are seemingly part of doing business.
“We have made it crystal clear to water companies that they must massively reduce sewage discharges from storm overflows as a priority.
“If we don’t see the change we expect, we won’t hesitate to take further action.”
He highlighted a law introduced last year, which will legally require water companies to make a “progressive reduction” in the harmful impact of sewage discharges.
The minister added: “It’s time for water companies to step up and deliver on their promises.”
