Those satirical jokesters from IW Can Depress (IWCD) have been at it again.
Last week when Environment Agency and Surfers Against Sewage both issued warnings around the Isle of Wight coastline of possible sewage pollution, the IWCD graphics team quickly put together a map of the Island with poo-pun names.
This proved so popular that the team decided to turn the graphic into postcards which Islanders and visitors could send to the Isle of Wight MP.
IWCD: Risks destroying the Island’s economy, health and nature
Postcards have been placed around the Island in locations including: Cowes, Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor with more planned for delivery around the Island.
A spokesperson for satirical group IW Can Depress explained to News OnTheWight,
“We created the poo-stcard as a response to the depressing number of sewage alerts for Isle of Wight beaches.
“It is unacceptable anywhere in the country, but for a holiday destination it risks destroying the Island’s economy, health and nature.”
Click on images for larger versions
‘Poo-pun place names’ were crowd-sourced
They explained how their community on social media helped come up with the alternative names for the postcard.
“The ‘Poo-pun place names’ were crowd-sourced from IW Can Depress’ Facebook and Twitter amazing community.
“We hope everyone who finds a postcard, sends it to the Island’s MP and lets him know what they think about raw sewage on our beaches.”
The back of the postcard has Bob Seely’s office address already printed on it with space for the sender to leave a message.
Social media action
Following the record number of pollution warnings around the country’s coastline last week, many people took to social media calling on their MPs to ensure the Government take action against the water companies.
Bob Seely, the Isle of Wight MP, seemed remarkedly quiet on the subject, despite several constituents tweeting him about it.
IWCD: We’d like Bob Seely to stand up to the water companies
The spokesperson for IW Can Depress explained to News OnTheWight what they hoped would come from the poo-st card campaign,
“We’d like Bob Seely to stand up to the water companies and the government, rather than their shareholders, and stop putting raw sewage into our sea and beaches.
“In the past, Mr Seely has voted to keep the sewage flowing, so we hope some targeted toilet humour will encourage him to help clean up this stinking mess”.
Response from MP
News OnTheWight has written to Bob Seely, asking what his response to the campaign is and what action Southern Water have taken to make real their pledges to Seely and others during a meeting in Summer 2021.
The MP came under fire last year when he voted against amendments to the Environment Bill that would have forced water companies to stop sewage outflows into bathing areas.
Quigley: Bob promised to table his own amendment to the bill
Following the vote in October 2021, Isle of Wight council Labour councillor, Richard Quigley told News OnTheWight,
“Bob has voted against every amendment to the Environment Bill, one of which was aimed at improving water quality by stopping sewage outflows.
“He sat opposite me in a meeting with southern water and promised to table his own amendment to the bill, to protect the quality of water around our Island and wrote a press release saying such
In November 2021 Bob Seely voted with his party to reject the so-called ‘sewage amendment’.
