logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2021
24m 58s

The U-bend U-turn: Why are England’s riv...

THE TIMES
About this episode

There was public outcry when MPs voted against stricter penalties for water companies dumping raw sewage into England’s rivers. But following a U-turn, the Government has now passed a new Environment Bill it says will reduce the amount of raw sewage polluting our waterways. But do the measures go far enough?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Guests:

  • Alice Thomson, Columnist, The Times.
  • Hugo Tagholm, Surfers Against Sewage.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: BBC, ITV, Sky, DW News, WaterElectroScan, Institute of Civil Engineers

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
Has Trump paved the way to a united Ireland?
President Trump sparked controversy during his recent trip to Ireland when he said a unified Ireland would be “a fantastic thing.” That was followed on Monday by Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh leaders signing a pact pledging to break up the UK. With Prime Minister Andy Burnha ... Show More
28m 6s
Yesterday
Bonus: Bill Gates on AI risk, regulation and the "vacuum of US leadership"
The Microsoft co-founder tells Danny and Katie why AI is "ultra-different" from any previous technology - and why tech companies shouldn’t be responsible for controlling it. Speaking about a new report on AI and equity published by The Gates Foundation he also explores the “vacuu ... Show More
28m 25s
Yesterday
How Lucy Letby’s hospital failed her victims
The Thirlwall Inquiry into how Lucy Letby was able to murder babies at the Countess of Chester hospital has released a damning report. It found the hospital could have prevented at least three of the murders, if not for evidence of a pernicious “them and us” culture and a lack of ... Show More
23m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2024
The great stink of England’s sewage crisis
<p>The raw sewage being pumped into rivers and seas in England has become a seismic election issue. The musician turned environmentalist Feargal Sharkey joins the FT’s Lucy Fisher, George Parker and Robert Shrimsley to assess how we got here, while the FT’s infrastructure corresp ... Show More
31m 35s
Aug 2024
Why is our water so dirty?
<p>Pollution has been piling up in our waters for years, damaging areas of natural beauty and even infecting drinking water in some areas of the country. Water companies like Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and Northumbrian Water have now found themselves paying millions of pounds ... Show More
39m 44s
May 2024
Will Farage get a job with Trump? Why can't the water companies go bankrupt?
On Monday we published an investigation by business editor Will Dunn into England's water and sewage crisis. Will joins Hannah Barnes, associate editor, and Freddie Hayward, political correspondent, on this episode of You Ask Us to answer some listener questions on the water comp ... Show More
22m 20s
Sep 2024
Will new sewage dumping laws work?
The government is bringing in new laws which will see stiffer penalties for water companies and possible jail sentences for their bosses if they don't deal with sewage problems.    The environment secretary, Steve Reed, chaired a meeting attended by the water industry, investors  ... Show More
20m 40s
Nov 2021
Can sewage spewing into UK waters be stopped?
Sewage entered British waters for around 3 million hours in 2020 in over 400,000 pollution incidents. Hugo Tagholm, chief executive of Surfers Against Sewage tells Tamasin Ford why this is happening. Public pressure for the government and water companies to do something about thi ... Show More
17m 28s
Jul 2023
27: Feargal Sharkey: Teenage Kicks, Bobby Sands, and saving our rivers
Can we reverse the damage done to our polluted rivers and seas? What was it like to write Teenage Kicks? How has Brexit hamstrung the music industry? From punk singer to political activist, Feargal Sharkey is now the leading figure in the fight against sewage and water pollution ... Show More
44m 51s
Apr 2023
Bobbies and Jobbies
Has the government honoured its manifesto pledge and successfully recruited 20,000 police officers since 2019? Crime, justice and police commentator Danny Shaw joins Adam and Chris to fact check those claims. Also under the microscope is the government’s new target to reduce sewa ... Show More
27m 58s
Jun 2024
Is treated sewage worse for the environment than raw?
There has been increasing public outrage at raw sewage discharges into our rivers and seas, but new research at Lake Windermere suggests that treated sewage is as much to blame. Wastewater experts Simon Evans and Ali Morse get into the nitty gritty of sewage treatment and why it ... Show More
27m 31s