MPs hit back as river sewage vote row breaks out
Shropshire MPs have hit back over furious criticism of the way most of them voted on the issue of how to stop sewage being allowed to overflow into rivers including the Severn.
Of the seven Conservative MPs representing the Shropshire and Powys areas only one - Ludlow's Philip Dunne - voted against the Government to reject an amendment that would have banned water companies from discharging raw sewage into rivers.
Mr Dunne said the Government has introduced several measures that will help focus the attention of "water companies on improving treatment to reduce sewage discharges."
But he rebelled because the amendment was virtually the same as the main clause driving his own Private Members Bill last year. The amendment was lost by 268 votes to 204 in a vote last week.
He added: "I would hope the government would reflect on the growing awareness of the need to protect our rivers and consider building on its existing commitments to place a duty on water companies to reduce sewage discharges year-by-year.”
But Mr Dunne's fellow Shropshire Tories were facing a furious reaction on Twitter as critics claimed Tory MPs had voted to support the dumping of raw sewage.
They have now hit back, accusing opponents of spreading "misinformation."
North Shropshire MP and former environment secretary Owen Paterson says he is "strongly opposed to storm overflows containing untreated sewerage discharging into rivers.
