As someone who loves to take to the waves in my spare time, the level of pollution entering our waters has been at the top of my agenda for some time.

The rivers and seas in Cornwall are one of our most precious assets. Yet, between 2018 and 2022, they suffered from more water pollution incidents than anywhere else in the country. It was devastating to watch them continuously drop in quality while the previous government looked the other way.

But this national scandal ends with Labour as we set out a way forward to stop this destruction of our waterways.

In July, Steve Reed, the environment secretary, announced the government was backing plans by the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) for an £88 billion spending package by water utilities. This will be spread over 5 years, from 2025 to 2030.

I met with South West Water in the weeks after my election and discussed the challenges faced by their network, which currently suffers from over 10% water losses. Our reforms will have an undeniable impact on the company’s investment plan. The Environment Agency that I met with locally on Friday welcomed the reforms.

Companies that fail on their environmental commitments will effectively be placed in ‘special measures’, and we are ready to hold water bosses to account if they do not meet standards, rather than let them walk away with more multi-million pound bonuses.

And it’s not just the pollution we’re tackling. Labour is reforming the sector so it puts people before profit. Vital funding for infrastructure investment will be ringfenced for spending on improving the environment or in ways that benefit customers. And, if it isn’t spent, Ofwat will ensure that companies refund their customers, rather than line the pockets of their bosses.

I’m looking forward to being part of the debate on the Water Bill when it comes before parliament. I see it as just the first step of many in reforming the water sector and restoring our rivers, lakes and seas to good health after 15 years of decline.