Goldsmith and Adonis spar over sewage motion

Lords Goldsmith and Adonis are embroiled in a row over a recent amendment to the Environment Bill.

The former MP and current minister for Pacific and the environment Lord Goldsmith said: “In this debate on sewage, the noble Lord has absolutely covered himself in the stuff, and I say shame on him,” accusing him of promoting “malicious falsehoods” regarding the issue.

Defra minister Lord Benyon backed up his colleague via Twitter, saying: Brilliant take down by ⁦@ZacGoldsmith⁩ on the odious click bait campaign from one peer who should know better.

Goldsmith tweeted further remarks after yesterday’s Lords debate: https://twitter.com/ZacGoldsmith/status/1453086494856466443?s=20

Lord Goldsmith was reacting to a Twitter post made by Lord Adonis, an ex journalist and Labour MP who served under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s premierships, that read: “Do you remember Brexiters telling us in 2016 that they wanted to pump raw sewage into rivers and the sea as a Brexit dividend for the private water companies?

“That’s what the Etonian Brexiter Zac Goldsmith is proposing in the House of Lords today.

“Oh and he calls himself green.”

He added: “Brexit is causing raw sewage to be dumped in rivers.”

Lord Adonis clapped back at Lord Goldsmith’s comments via Twitter this morning: https://twitter.com/Andrew_Adonis/status/1453269820024279043?s=20

The government have today been criticised for its partial U-turn on the issue, after they proposed a new motion which would impose a duty on water companies to reduce sewage discharges as a result of storm overflows, and will legally required firm to evidence a reduction in overspills over the coming five years.

Last week 22 Conservatives rebelled against the whip and voted for the initial amendment to the Bill that would have legally compelled water companies to reduce their discharge of raw sewage into rivers and seas.

The bill, intended to revamp the UK’s environmental regulations post Brexit, currently allows raw sewage to be discharged into the country’s waterways.

Data from the Environment Agency shows that raw sewage was dumped into British waters over than 400,000 times in 2020.

Thousands of Twitter users have taken to the site over the past few days to tweet images of MPs who followed the government’s whip, and voted down the amendment.