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Can Labour Fix England's Water Shortage Problem?
Can Labour Fix England's Water Shortage Problem?
Environment
England hasn’t built a new reservoir in more than 30 years but 10 are now promised – and even they may not be enough. Noah Vickers reports on the leaky plumbing – real and financial – draining the system
The Path to Net Zero: A special report to mark Net Zero Week 2025 Partner content
Environment
By Total Politics Impact
The Path to Net Zero: A special report to mark Net Zero Week 2025
Water Minister Emma Hardy: 'The Regulatory System Is Broken'
Environment
Water Minister Emma Hardy: "The Regulatory System Is Broken"
Troubled Waters – The Many Struggles Of The Canal And River Trust
Environment
Troubled Waters – The Many Struggles Of The Canal And River Trust
Labour Figures Grow Nervous About Net Zero After Reform Success
Environment
Labour Figures Grow Nervous About Net Zero After Reform Success
Labour MP Warns Planning Reforms Could Overwhelm Environment Regulator
Environment
Labour MP Warns Planning Reforms Could Overwhelm Environment Regulator
Victoria Atkins: I’ve Cross-Examined Gun-Toting Drug Lords – Labour MPs Don't Worry Me
Environment
Victoria Atkins: I’ve Cross-Examined Gun-Toting Drug Lords – Labour MPs Don't Worry Me
Opinion
The future of haulage is here: it’s time for a zero-emission mandate for HGVs Partner content
Environment
By Transport & Environment
The future of haulage is here: it’s time for a zero-emission mandate for HGVs
It’s time to double down on net-zero
Environment
By Alex Sobel MP
It’s time to double down on net-zero
Unleashing climate tech to achieve labour’s net-zero goals
Environment
By Steve Race MP
Unleashing climate tech to achieve labour’s net-zero goals
Most read
Former Foreign Secretary Says UK Public Needs A “Philosophical Reset” On Defence
Former Foreign Secretary Says UK Public Needs A “Philosophical Reset” On Defence
Defence
Net Zero Week in Parliament 2025 ##sash##
Net Zero Week in Parliament 2025
Energy
How No 10 Sleepwalked Into A Welfare Crisis
How No 10 Sleepwalked Into A Welfare Crisis
Political parties
I will vote against the Welfare Bill - I don’t want anyone to feel the regret I've had since 2015
I will vote against the Welfare Bill - I don’t want anyone to feel the regret I've had since 2015
By Emma Lewell MP
Health
Rachel Reeves: Hero of the Left
Rachel Reeves: Hero of the Left
By Tim Leunig
Political parties
Welfare Bill Passes House Of Commons Vote After Day Of Pain For Government
Welfare Bill Passes House Of Commons Vote After Day Of Pain For Government
Health
Editor's choiceAll
Water Minister Emma Hardy: 'The Regulatory System Is Broken'
Environment
Water Minister Emma Hardy: "The Regulatory System Is Broken"
With water now a top political issue in Britain, Sienna Rodgers talks to Defra minister Emma Hardy who says regulation of the industry is ‘broken’ – and warns companies, ‘there’s no room to hide’
Troubled Waters – The Many Struggles Of The Canal And River Trust
Environment
Troubled Waters – The Many Struggles Of The Canal And River Trust
Over a decade ago, the government decided to place many of England and Wales’ inland waterways in the hands of the Canal & River Trust. As it struggles with increasing financial pressure and a furious row with part of the boating community, has the experiment failed? Alan White investigates. Illustrations by Tracy Worrall
Victoria Atkins: I’ve Cross-Examined Gun-Toting Drug Lords – Labour MPs Don't Worry Me
Environment
Victoria Atkins: I’ve Cross-Examined Gun-Toting Drug Lords – Labour MPs Don't Worry Me
Sienna Rodgers talks to shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins who aims her fire at ‘City Steve’, ‘showman’ Nigel Farage and the government’s ‘Marxist’ policy on compulsory purchase
Environment news
Partner content
Environment
By Horticultural Trades Association
HTA calls for prioritisation of green infrastructure and support for SMEs at Industry Forum Reception
The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) has called on the government to prioritise green infrastructure and better support for small businesses, as highlighted by HTA Chief Executive Fran Barnes during the Industry Forum Spring Reception held on 21 May.
Rural regions deserve just as much of a voice as urban ones, and they have just as much to offer
Environment
By David Skaith
Rural regions deserve just as much of a voice as urban ones, and they have just as much to offer
Rural communities across the UK are an untapped source of potential economic growth for the whole country.
Bringing in visitors to see the beauty of the East Midlands is key to boosting our economy
Environment
By Claire Ward
Bringing in visitors to see the beauty of the East Midlands is key to boosting our economy
I drove to a meeting with a housing association last month in the village of Youlgrave, Derbyshire, and I was once again struck by the incredible natural beauty of my region, the East Midlands.
Underneath the North York Moors lies a wonder-mineral that could prove invaluable to our economy
Environment
By Alison Hume
Underneath the North York Moors lies a wonder-mineral that could prove invaluable to our economy
If you’ve ever visited the North York Moors National Park, you may have marvelled at the vast swathes of heather spreading out like a purple carpet as far as the eye can see.
“Are you a builder or a blocker?” is not the question we should be asking
Environment
By Polly Billington MP
“Are you a builder or a blocker?” is not the question we should be asking
The dichotomised way in which we are talking about housing doesn't reflect our true intentions. Housebuilding should be a collective effort – not a fight.
The Planning Bill gives developers the right to pay cash to trash nature – it must change
Environment
By Chris Hinchliff MP
The Planning Bill gives developers the right to pay cash to trash nature – it must change
If the purpose of politics is to lay the foundations of a good life for all, the environmental measures in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill reveal a troubling lack of imagination at the heart of government.
Compassionomics: why labour must not devalue the currency of animal protection Partner content
Environment
By Humane World for Animals UK
Compassionomics: why labour must not devalue the currency of animal protection
Voters expect the government’s plan for economic growth to follow a moral compass. This month, Labour has a crucial chance to prove its commitment to animal welfare by backing the Fur (Import and Sale) Bill. Humane World for Animals UK urges the party to take a clear stand against the cruelty of the fur trade.
Partner content
Environment
By Horticultural Trades Association
Inheritance Tax changes a ‘lose-lose’ – costing UK 1,300 sector jobs, slashing investment, and draining treasury tax revenues
Proposed reforms impacting the environmental horticulture sector are expected to shrink the UK economy by £143 million.
The next steps: how to build on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill Partner content
Environment
By Mineral Products Association
The next steps: how to build on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill
The Government’s flagship Planning and Infrastructure Bill is currently making its way through Parliament, with a lot of hopes being pinned on the Bill and its provisions. These hopes are shared by MPA member companies in the domestic supply chain required for their construction. But there are further steps needed to deliver the necessary raw materials and products required to deliver Government’s ambitions.
India’s suspension of the Indus treaty with Pakistan shows how quickly water can be weaponised
Environment
By Liam Fox
India’s suspension of the Indus treaty with Pakistan shows how quickly water can be weaponised
South Asian countries are increasingly seeing water as a strategic asset rather than a shared resource
We need a new approach to water bills – a rising block tariff would be transformative
Environment
By Niamh O Regan and Sam Robinson
We need a new approach to water bills – a rising block tariff would be transformative
Our water system is at a tipping point. Water infrastructure is in urgent need of an upgrade to address the dual pressures of record demand and a volatile climate.
Partner content
Environment
By Horticultural Trades Association
EU-UK horticulture associations mark close collaboration at Chelsea
The government must stop dragging its heels on urgent environmental issues
Environment
By Rebecca Pow
The government must stop dragging its heels on urgent environmental issues
From tackling illegal deforestation in UK supply chains, to conserving our wild peat bogs and the biodiversity of our oceans, Labour must act now to protect our natural world
Water bosses need to start thinking of customers, not just themselves
Environment
By Alistair Carmichael MP
Water bosses need to start thinking of customers, not just themselves
“We have created incentives to try to retain our most precious resource, which is our senior management team.”
‘Horrified that this is still legal!’: public reactions to a cruel and antiquated trade Partner content
Environment
By Humane World for Animals UK
‘Horrified that this is still legal!’: public reactions to a cruel and antiquated trade
At a recent exhibition hundreds of visitors expressed shock and disgust at photographs of animals reduced to grotesque souvenirs, shipped to the UK as hunting trophies. Now politicians are invited to see those images in Parliament on 20th May.
Net zero is popular and essential. Labour must take the fight to Badenoch and Farage
Environment
By Luke Murphy
Net zero is popular and essential. Labour must take the fight to Badenoch and Farage
Evidence shows that rolling back our climate ambitions would do nothing to win back voters from Reform, but instead risk losing crucial votes to the Liberal Democrats and Greens. Labour must not buckle on net zero. 
Rural notspots – why there's no phone signal in the countryside and how to fix it
Environment
By Simon Rockman
Rural notspots – why there's no phone signal in the countryside and how to fix it
It was billed as the solution to poor or absent mobile coverage, but in five years the £1bn Shared Rural Network has built just one tower in a total not-spot. Simon Rockman argues it should be abandoned: there is a better solution available. Illustration by Tracy Worrall
Defra has lost its way
Environment
By Alistair Carmichael MP
Defra has lost its way
A series of policy missteps has left Defra floundering, Steve Reed needs to get a grip
We cannot continue to take a flippant approach to how we feed the nation
Environment
By Baroness Batters
We cannot continue to take a flippant approach to how we feed the nation
Former National Farmers’ Union president Baroness Batters, now a crossbench peer, reflects on being ‘seven meals from anarchy’ during Covid and argues that food production must be made a UK priority. Illustration by Tracy Worrall
Labour’s net-zero is built on slave labour and broken promises
Environment
By Harriet Cross MP
Labour’s net-zero is built on slave labour and broken promises
Labour’s net-zero ambitions have attracted a range of descriptions, from ambitious and groundbreaking to unrealistic, naive and idealistic. But after the past few weeks, ‘immoral’ must also be added.
Quarries and Nature 2025: Celebrating the Mineral Industry’s Role in Nature Recovery Partner content
Environment
By Mineral Products Association
Quarries and Nature 2025: Celebrating the Mineral Industry’s Role in Nature Recovery
Extracting the raw materials required to create essential homes and infrastructure need not be at the expense of natural habitats. A recent awards event, organised by the Mineral Products Association (MPA), showcased the UK mineral industry’s contribution to creating spaces for nature and improving biodiversity.
A framework for future farming Partner content
Environment
By The Central Association of Agricultural Valuers
A framework for future farming
In an increasingly uncertain world our farming has the same productivity issues as the whole economy. The CAAV offers a framework for policy to answer this, complemented by farm-specific advice, for a more positive and resilient future
Megafarms have no place in our growth plan
Environment
By Terry Jermy MP
Megafarms have no place in our growth plan
The rejection of a megafarm in my constituency is a watershed moment. We want growth, but industrial farming is not the answer.
Trade barriers put UK horticulture at risk Partner content
Environment
By Horticultural Trades Association
Trade barriers put UK horticulture at risk
Urgent resolutions are needed for the self-inflicted barriers to trade that is damaging the UK horticulture industry says the HTA
EventsAll
Starmer: One Year On
2025
Online
Starmer: One Year On
Net Zero Week in Parliament 2025
2025
Portcullis House
Net Zero Week in Parliament 2025