Baroness Jenny Jones labelled the government “systemically corrupt” shortly before it was defeated in the House of Lords over new housing reforms.
Michael Gove’s bid to use post-Brexit freedoms to water down environmental protections for new home developments was shot down last night following warnings of “total ecological collapse” in some areas by environmental campaigners.
The levelling-up secretary tried to scrap protections to water supplies introduced by the European Union in 2017 that exist to stop pollutants like phosphates and nitrates from leaking into local water supplies.
These chemicals, while natural, can significantly harm water quality, endanger wildlife, and lead to overgrowth of algae.
Environmentalists expressed concern that without having protections in place wastewater and sewage from new homes and construction site runoff are likely to harm local water ecosystems, leading to their degradation at a time when they are already under significant pressure.
Speaking ahead of the vote Baroness Jenny Jones dubbed the government “systemically corrupt”, saying it is “relevant that housing developers have put £60 million into Tory party coffers over the last 10 years.”
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