ROBIN Walker MP has slammed the Liberal Democrats for claiming he voted in favour of 15 more years of sewage dumping.
The Liberal Democrats' Twitter account published a list of MPs who they claim voted in favour of 15 more years of sewage dumping in rivers and coasts.
The Draft Environmental Targets Regulations vote was passed with 300 ayes to 170 noes on January 25.
Mr Walker called the list "outrageous" and accused the political party of "gaslighting", meaning to manipulate.
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Last night, 292 Conservative MPs voted to allow sewage dumping by water companies in our rivers and coasts for at least 15 more years.
— Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) January 26, 2023
Can you spot your MP on the list? pic.twitter.com/VXXafEGXjZ
He said: "This list is an outrageous piece of gaslighting and misinformation from the Liberal Democrats and they should be ashamed of themselves.
"The vote was setting legally binding targets to reduce pollution.
"This information is extremely misleading in a week parliament has voted to strengthen the law instead watering it down.
"By voting against it, they would have failed to set any legally binding targets, but thankfully they are now being put in place.
"It is about improving the situation and making sure water companies are being held accountable."
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Mr Walker went on to say how "proud" he was of the "increased monitoring" of water companies.
He said: "Before this government took office, only six per cent of outlets were monitored. We have seen a huge increase in monitoring up to 90 per cent and soon to be 100 per cent.
It is about working with the companies to eliminate it over time. I'm proud of increasing the monitoring and we voted in this week to set them in law.
"We have to make sure things are planned for properly in terms of the growth of the sewage network. This is action being taken by the government to improve action."
Of the 'noes', 150 were labour, 10 were Liberal Democrats and 10 were other parties.
A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said: "Last night, 292 Conservative MPs voted to allow sewage dumping by water companies in our rivers and coasts for at least 15 more years.
"In the last two years alone, water companies in England dumped raw sewage 775,568 times over 5,768,679 hours. The new regulations would permit dumping to continue for 15 more years."
Harriett Baldwin MP and Nigel Huddleston MP also both voted in favour.
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