
Overpaid water bosses should clean up our rivers & sort out sewage or clear off
MILLIONS would be forgiven for thinking that paying their water bills is like pouring money down the plughole.
Every year, the demand grows higher while the service provided by utility bosses sinks to a more nauseating level.
1
Prices rose by an average of 26 per cent this year but what did we get in return?
Britain's rivers, lakes and beaches are awash with sewage, supplies have been interrupted by leaks in ageing water mains and garden hosepipe bans have been imposed.
Despite all this, there's been a steady flow of cash into the pockets of water company bosses — with one given a pay rise that almost doubled his income to £1.4million.
Six out of ten water firms paid their bosses an average bonus of £180,000 last year — on top of their fat salaries.
Yet now we're told we may have to dig deep to fund a clean-up of our waterways and invest in new infrastructure.
Don't expect any great change soon, though.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed has promised only to halve current pollution of our waters by 2030.
That would only reduce the problem to 225,000 sewage spills a year.
Mr Reed insists it is an 'ambitious' target and has staked his political future on hitting it.
He should start his task by delivering a clear message to fatcat water chiefs.
Clean up our rivers, or clear off.
Jet lags
NIGEL FARAGE has come up with a plan to cut crime and ease prison overcrowding at a stroke.
He wants to send more than 10,000 of the most serious offenders to serve their time 5,000 miles away in El Salvador.
The Reform leader says his plan has the added benefit of cutting the cost to taxpayers and giving killers and paedophiles a tougher regime.
It's nearly 160 years since Britain stopped shipping convicts on a one-way trip to Australia.
Back then governments didn't have the European Convention on Human Rights to deal with.
It could prove a stumbling block if Sir Keir's activist lawyer chums get involved.
Cheer we go
And now it's being prescribed as a treatment to help with depression.
GP turned Labour MP Simon Opher is piloting a free tickets scheme to watch Forest Green Rovers as an alternative to dishing out anti-depressants.
Let's hope the National League side do better than last season, when they lost in a penalty shootout in the playoffs.
It's always good for the nation's well-being to know how to beat the blues.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Guardian
6 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Labour focused on appeasing Reform, not beating them, says Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn has accused the Labour government of 'appeasing' Reform UK by 'scapegoating' migrants and minorities for its own domestic policy failures, saying his new leftwing political party would take on Nigel Farage instead. The veteran leftwing MP, who confirmed last week he was launching a new, as yet unnamed, movement with former Labour MP Zarah Sultana, said British politics was at a 'critical juncture' with the rise of rightwing populism. He said he saw their role as providing hope, not fear. And he accused the Labour party, which he led between 2015 and 2020, of 'paving the path' for Reform's electoral success, by failing to take on a 'rigged economic system' and blaming immigrants for the problems in society. In less than a week, more than 500,000 people have signed up to the new movement which is explicitly aimed at left-leaning voters who have backed Labour, the Greens or the collection of Gaza-focused independents who saw off Labour candidates in four constituencies in last year's election. Polling before the party launched suggested it could gather as much as 10% of the vote nationally. However, new parties usually struggle to maintain momentum, and turning polls into votes relies on building an effective campaign machine, which is difficult to do from scratch. Writing for the Guardian, Corbyn said there was a 'huge appetite' for a reset of the 'broken' political system, under which the traditional two-party domination has broken down. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'Up and down the country, there is huge appetite for an economic reset. One that brings water, energy, rail and mail into public ownership. One that invests in welfare, not warfare. One that makes the wealthiest in society pay a bit more in tax to ensure that everyone can live in dignity,' he said. 'This is the political vision that can inspire hope, not fear. The great dividers want you to think that migrants and minorities are responsible for the problems in our society. They're not. 'Those problems are caused by a rigged economic system that protects the interests of billionaires and corporations. By scapegoating migrants and minorities for its own domestic failures, Labour has paved the path for Reform UK. 'This Labour government is here to appease Reform. We are here to defeat Reform. We are at a critical juncture, and we need an alternative, now.' The former Labour leader added: 'Politics should be about empowerment. Instead, people are shut out of the decisions that affect their daily lives. For too long, top-down political parties have patronised their members and disempowered the communities they claim to represent.'


Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Donald Trump meets John Swinney for private talks before star-studded golf match on final day of Scotland trip
The US President is welcoming a host of A-listers for a star-studded golf match to open his new Aberdeenshire course DON THE COURSE Donald Trump meets John Swinney for private talks before star-studded golf match on final day of Scotland trip Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DONALD Trump has officially opened his new Scottish golf course - his final stop in Scotland before Air Force One departs later today. Last night he flew from Turnberry to the North East and hosted a private dinner with dignitaries including the Prime Minister, First Minister, and high profile business people. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Donald Trump has officially opened his new course in Aberdeenshire Credit: AFP 3 The US President and Sir Keir Starmer after their crunch talks at Turnberry on Monday Credit: Reuters 3 Donald Trump and Keir Starmer wave as they board Air Force One at Prestwick Airport ahead of a flight to north-east Scotland Mr Trump and Sir Keir landed at Menie aboard Marine One, the president's helicopter, which was seen circling the new course before it touched down on Monday evening. Before teeing off at Trump International, the US President met with John Swinney for a private one-to-one. It was the first time the pair have met since they clashed in November last year when the SNP leader called on US voters to back his Democratic rival Kamala Harris in the US Presidential election - leading his UK-based business to slam the endorsement as an 'insult'. The President opened the 'new course' at Trump International in Menie, just north of Aberdeen, at a 'grand opening' ceremony shortly before 11am. He thanked his son Eric, who he said had "worked so hard" on creating the New Course at the resort. Trump International's 'new course' is the second at the venue since the newly named 'old course' opened in 2012. The new 18 holes measures 7,589 yards - with Trump International now self-styled as the 'greatest 36 holes in golf'. Mr Trump made a short speech on the first tee of the course before playing a round. It comes after Mr Trump yesterday hosted an 80-minute televised press conference with the Prime Minister after meeting with Sir Keir Starmer at his other golf course at Turnberry, Ayrshire. In it, he blasted wind power - slamming wind turbines as 'ugly monsters' - and urged more drilling in the North Sea. Furious Trump says he'll CUT Putin's 50-day peace deadline and says he's 'disappointed' after latest ruthless Kyiv blitz And he poured cold water on the possibility of a second independence referendum within the next '50 or 75 years'. He also spoke of his love for Scotland due to his late mother's birthplace being in the Isle of Lewis and said: 'My mother loved Scotland. This is a part of the world I want to see thrive.' The second course at Trump International is expected to be dedicated to the president's mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born on the Isle of Lewis.


The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Analysis: Is Scottish independence the politics of yesteryear?
Earlier in the day First Minister had set out what he argued would be a mechanism for holding indyref2, stating in a column in the Daily Record that the SNP must return a majority of MSPs in next year's Holyrood election to be able to 'secure' a new vote on independence. Pointing to the [[Holyrood]] majority the [[SNP]] won, under Alex Salmond in 2011, which paved the way for the 2024 referendum, Mr Swinney said that was the 'only mechanism that has been proved to deliver such a vote'. READ MORE: It was a shift away from the approach taken by former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon that a [[SNP]] led Scottish Government could start discussions about a new vote if independence supporting parties won a majority in [[Holyrood]]. Asked for a response to this news, the PM said the current 'volatility' on the global stage proved the importance of the United Kingdom. He said: 'At a time like this, when it's quite clear that there's uncertainty and volatility around the world, the strength of the United Kingdom together is very important for all four nations, very important for Scotland, and that should be our priority, that should be our focus – not on the politics which feels like the politics of yesteryear now, at a time like this." Mr Swinney's strategy does certainly, as he himself openly admits, hark back to previous (and better days) for the SNP. And for Sir Keir Starmer it would of course be highly convenient if he was correct that independence is the politics of yesteryear. He wouldn't face regular reminders that as things stand a majority of Scots want Scotland to become independent, and he wouldn't have to face awkward questions about that situation in front of world leaders, such as Mr Trump. But while the Prime Minister is right to suggest that many voters have other priorities on their mind - recent polling suggest the NHS, the cost of living and the state of public services are uppermost concerns - it does not mean that independence is a concern of the past. The same Ipsos poll published earlier this month which set out voters' priorities, put support for independence at 52%, while previous surveys have found that younger voters are more likely to support independence. However, the challenge for Mr Swinney is now to win that majority and at the moment that task while not impossible looks very difficult. When the SNP won its Holyrood majority under Mr Salmond the party took 69 seats, winning 45% of the vote in the constituency seats and 44% in the regional seats. The latest polling suggests the party is on course to win 34% of the vote in the constituencies and 26% on the list with analysis suggesting the figures point to 59 seats for the SNP, six short of a majority. If Mr Swinney's achieves his goal, it will certainly heap the pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to agree to a second independence vote, but if he doesn't it will raise questions over his leadership, and strengthen the arguments for the pro-UK parties that demands for indyref2 must be set aside in the next Parliament.