Raw sewage ruckus gathering momentum - here’s how London MPs voted

With COP26 around the corner, the environment is at the forefront of many conversations happening in parliament and around the world.

Those who have spent a lifetime defending and fighting for the environment were dealt a bitter blow last week when parliament voted against key amendments being enacted in the Environment Bill.

The amendments would have enforced policies that made water companies stop pumping raw sewage into our rivers and the ocean.

While it is already illegal for Water Companies to pump raw sewage into the water, over 400,000 sewage incidents across the country occurred within a year. Therefore many are calling for more effective legislation to be put in place.

Here is a list of London MPs and how they voted:

Dame Margaret Hodge, Labour (Barking) - No vote recorded.

Marsha De Cordova, Labour (Battersea) - No vote recorded.

Bob Stewart, Conservative (Beckenham) - Voted against.

Neil Coyle, Labour (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) - Voted for.

Rushanara Ali, Labour (Bethnal Green and Bow) - Voted for.

Sir David Evennett, Conservative (Bexleyheath and Crayford) - Voted against.

Dawn Butler, Labour (Brent Central) - Voted for.

Barry Gardiner, Labour (Brent North) - Voted for.

Ruth Cadbury, Labour (Brentford and Isleworth) - Voted for.

Sir Robert Neill, Conservative (Bromley and Chislehurst) - Voted against.

Harriet Harman, Labour (Camberwell and Peckham) - No vote recorded.

Elliot Colburn, Conservative (Carshalton and Wallington) - No vote recorded.

Greg Hands, Conservative (Chelsea and Fulham) - No vote recorded.

Iain Duncan Smith, Conservative (Chingford and Woodford Green) - Voted against.

Theresa Villiers,  Conservative (Chipping Barnet) - No vote recorded.

Nickie Aiken, Conservative (Cities of London and Westminster) - No vote recorded.

Sarah Jones, Labour (Croydon Central) - Voted for.

Steve Reed, Labour (Croydon North) - Voted for.

Chris Philp, Conservative (Croydon South) - Voted against.

Jon Cruddas, Labour (Dagenham and Rainham) - Voted for.

Helen Hayes, Labour (Dulwich and West Norwood) - Voted for.

Dr Rupa Huq, Labour (Ealing Central and Acton) - Voted for.

James Murray, Labour (Ealing North) - Voted for.

Virendra Sharma, Labour (Ealing Southall) - Voted for.

Stephen Timms, Labour (East Ham) - Voted for.

Kate Osamor, Labour (Edmonton) - Voted for.

Clive Efford, Labour (Eltham) - Voted for.

Feryal Clark, Labour (Enfield North) - Voted for.

Bambos Charalambous, Labour (Enfield, Southgate) - Voted for.

Abena Oppong-Asare, Labour (Erith and Thamesmead) - Voted for.

Mike Freer, Conservative (Finchley and Golders Green) - Voted against.

Matthew Pennycook, Labour (Greenwich and Woolwich) - Voted for.

Diane Abbott, Labour (Hackney North and Stoke Newington) - No vote recorded.

Dame Meg Hillier, Labour (Hackney South and Shoreditch) - Voted for.

Andy Slaughter, Labour (Hammersmith) - Voted for.

Tulip Siddiq, Labour (Hampstead and Kilburn) - No vote recorded.

Bob Blackman, Conservative (Harrow East) - Voted against.

Gareth Thomas, Labour (Harrow West) - Voted for.

John McDonnell, Labour (Hayes and Harlington) - Voted for.

Dr Matthew Offord, Conservative (Hendon) - Voted for.

Keir Starmer, Labour (Holburn and St Pancras) - Voted for.

Julia Lopez, Conservative (Hornchurch and Upminster) - Voted against.

Catherine West, Labour (Hornsey and Wood Green) - Voted for.

Wes Streeting, Labour (Ilford North) - No vote recorded.

Sam Tarry, Labour (Ilford South) - Voted for.

Jeremy Corbyn, Independent (Islington North) - Voted for.

Emily Thornberry, Labour (Islington South and Finsbury) - Voted for.

Felicity Buchan, Conservative (Kensington) - Voted against.

Ed Davey, Liberal Democrat (Kingston and Surbiton) - No vote recorded.

Janet Daby, Labour (Lewisham East) - Voted for.

Ellie Reeves, Labour (Lewisham West and Penge) - Voted for.

Vicky Foxcroft, Labour (Lewisham Deptford) - Voted for.

John Cryer, Labour (Leyton and Wanstead) - Voted for.

Siobhain McDonagh, Labour (Mitcham and Morder) - Voted for.

Gareth Bacon, Conservative (Orpington) - Voted against.

Apsana Begum, Labour (Poplar and Limehouse) - Voted for.

Fleur Anderson, Labour (Putney) - Voted for.

Sarah Olney, Liberal Democrat (Sarah Olney) - No vote recorded.

Andrew Rosindell, Conservative (Romford) - No vote recorded.

David Simmonds, Conservative (Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner) - No vote recorded.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Labour (Streatham) - Voted for.

Paul Scully, Conservative (Sutton and Cheam) - Voted against.

Rosena Allin-Khan, Labour (Tooting) - Voted for.

David Lammy, Labour (Tottenham) - Voted for.

Munira Wilson, Libral Democrat (Twickenham) - Voted for.

Boris Johnson, Conservative (Uxbridge and South Ruislip) - No vote recorded.

Florence Eshalomi, Labour (Vauxhall) - Voted for.

Stella Creasy, Labour (Walthamstow) - Voted for.

Lyn Brown, Labour (West Ham) - Voted for.

Karen Buck, Labour (Westminster North)  - Voted for.

Stephen Hammond, Conservative (Wimbledon) - Voted against.

You can find the full list of how all MPs voted here.

The issues concerning the amendments have gained a huge following, with many people already holding their local MPs accountable and asking why they would vote against the amendments:

Surfers Against Sewage, the organisation that has been at the forefront of this fight for 31 years, has launched a new campaign, encouraging supporters to get involved and in touch with their local MPs:

“The campaign to #EndSewagePollution is far from over. Our voices and our action meant the parliamentary vote on this was very close with MPs from all parties voting in support of this legal duty on water companies,” wrote the group on its website.

“And whilst we lost the vote, this tight race will have sent a clear message to Ministers that much more must be done,” they added.

CEO of Surfers Against Sewage, Hugo Tagholm described the decision taken by the government as “shocking”and questioned its sincerity in mounting a significant course of action to save the environment.

“In this most important of environmental decades, it’s shocking that the government recommended that MPs reject progressive and ambitious amendments that would protect water, air and nature.

“Why wouldn’t they want water companies to have a legal obligation not to pollute our rivers and ocean with sewage, for example? It beggars belief and hardly shows a commitment to be the greenest government ever.

“It’s time for more ambitious thinking and law that builds protected nature back into public ownership rather than leaving it to the ravages of shareholder interests.

“Thanks to all the supporters who contacted their MP - we need your help more than ever in the campaign to End Sewage Pollution,” he added.