Sewer prats
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.
GettyOverpaid water bosses should clean up our rivers and sort out sewage or clear off[/caption]
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
FOOTBALL lifts the spirits for millions of fans every week.
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.
Unless, of course, that’s the colour your favourite team plays in.
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