AN MP voted against the Government’s attempt to "water down" an amendment that would have increased protection for our rivers against raw sewage.

Layla Moran, Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, intervened in the debate to call on the Government to go further in cleaning up our waterways, in order to benefit the many wild swimmers who enjoy them.

Conservative MPs recently faced backlash after voting against amendments to the Environment Bill that would have placed a legal duty on water companies not to dump sewage into rivers.

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Intervening in the debate on the Environment Bill on Monday evening, Ms Moran called on the Government to do more to protect wild swimmers, like those swimming on Port Meadow, from raw sewage being discharged into the Thames.

Speaking after the vote, Layla Moran said: “While this Government is supposed to be building international consensus on action to tackle the climate emergency, it can’t even take action here at home to clean up our waters and remove raw sewage.

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“The level of sewage discharge into our rivers is, frankly, unacceptable - and the Minister even admitted that at the despatch box. I have heard countless stories from constituents who have fallen ill after swimming in our local rivers, and this is shameful. Alongside granting bathing water status for the Thames on Port Meadow, this Government must act to clean up waterways across the country."

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