High Peak MP says bosses of polluting water companies should have their bonuses blocked

High Peak’s MP Jon Pearce says the Labour Government will “stop rewarding failure” and block the payment of bonuses to water company executives who pollute Peak District and High Peak waterways. 

Speaking in Parliament on the 75th anniversary of the foundation of our National Parks, Jon Pearce said: “The Peak District is our original National Park and still the best. But our beautiful nature rich rivers that run through the Peak District and High Peak are being soiled by raw sewage.

"High Peak is one of the top 50 worse affected constituencies by sewage being dumped into our rivers. In 2023 the River Derwent and the River Wye suffered thousands of sewage overflows contributing to water pollution and ecological harm.  

“Yet, the water company bosses responsible rewarded themselves with outrageous bonuses.

"In the 2023 financial year, the United Utilities CEO received a remuneration of £3.2 million including nearly a million pounds worth of annual bonus. Severn Trent, which was fined £2 million this year for reckless pollution still lifted its bonuses to £3.36 million. We must stop rewarding failure.” 

The government’s Water (Special Measures) Bill would enable government and the regulators to achieve the commitments outlined in the 2024 Labour manifesto: 

 • To block the payment of bonuses to executives who pollute waterways;  

• To bring criminal charges against persistent law breakers;  

• To impose automatic and severe fines for wrongdoing; 

• To ensure independent monitoring of every outlet. 

Mr Pearce added: “At the general election, ending pollution of High Peak’s rivers and waters was a top priority.

"It was raised in all six hustings that I did, often more than once. In High Peak, the pumping of raw sewage into our precious rivers has become emblematic of the utter chaos and failure of the last 14 years.” 

“So I greatly welcome the measures in this bill. The independent monitoring of all outlets will provide greater transparency for my constituents in High Peak and will enable the regulators to hold United Utilities and Severn Trent to account.

"This, combined with the increase in ability of the Environment Agency to bring forward criminal charges against law breaking water executives with tougher penalties including up to two years in prison and new powers for OFWAT to ban bonuses unless water bosses meet higher standards of protecting our precious environment, really should concentrate the minds of executives at Severn Trent and United Utilities.  

“It was a Labour government that created our National Parks 75 years ago and it is a Labour government that is taking the steps to protect the rivers that run through them for the next 75 years."