Following News OnTheWight article from earlier today highlighting the questions raised by Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Bob Seely, in parliament about taking action against water companies, Cllr Richard Quigley, shares his response.
Cllr Quigley stood as the Labour Party’s Isle of Wight prospective parliamentary candidate in the 2019 General Election.
Quigley: Seely was more concerned about writing his press release
Cllr Quigley attended a meeting with Bob Seely and the CEO of Southern Water in summer 2021.
After the meeting Cllr Quigley said he believed that,
“Bob was more concerned about writing his press release than discussing the very serious issues of sewage release into our sea.”
Amendment gave chance to force time-based reductions
Although Bob Seely is now calling for the legal timescales in which Government can demand action from the water companies to be brought forward, Cllr Quigley said the MP passed up the opportunity to force time-based reductions of sewage outflow when he voted against the Duke of Wellington Amendment to the Environment Bill.
Quigley: “Even Southern Water thought the amendment was a good idea”
Cllr Quigley explained,
“I pressed Seely to support the Duke of Wellington Amendment on the Environment Bill (The Duke of Wellington’s element of Lords Amendment 45 would place a new duty on sewerage undertakers in England and Wales to make improvements to their sewerage systems and demonstrate progressive reductions in the harm caused by discharges of untreated sewage), but when he had the opportunity to force time-based reductions of sewage outflow, he voted with the government to pretty much leave it up to the water companies to deal with.
“Even Southern Water thought the amendment was a good idea. Yet now, after a dry Summer, that still saw sewage released into the sea around the Island, Bob claims to care.”
He added,
“He’s even managed to ‘tackle’ an environment minister that would last less than 24 hours in the job after Bob’s question.”
“No coherent plan to improve the lot of Islanders”
The Isle of Wight councillor for Cowes North finished by saying,
“So my question, is Bob short on memory, morals or does he genuinely fly by the seat of his pants from one day to the next, because from where I am standing, he has no coherent plan to improve the lot of Islanders and more of a plan to improve his career.
“A bigger office is more of a draw than clean beaches, obviously. And let’s not even ask about the Island Deal.”
