‘Enough is Enough’: Tom Gordon Demands Accountability from Failing Water Companies

Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, today led a parliamentary debate demanding tougher action against failing water companies and real accountability for bosses who preside over pollution, rising bills and collapsing public trust. 

Speaking in Parliament, Tom argued that the Water Special Measures Act has failed to deliver the change people were promised, with water companies still finding ways to dodge responsibility while rivers remain polluted and customers are left paying more for less. 

Tom called for Yorkshire Water CEO Nicola Shaw to resign, to return recent payments, and to commit to taking no further additional remuneration until genuine improvements are delivered. He also pressed the Government to ensure water bosses face criminal consequences where laws are broken, and to replace Ofwat with a far tougher regulator with real enforcement powers. 

Highlighting the situation in Harrogate and Knaresborough, Tom pointed to the condition of the River Nidd, Crimple Beck and Oak Beck - cherished local waterways, now blighted by sewage discharges. 

“People in my constituency have reached the point where they assume going into their local river might make them ill,” Tom said during the debate. “That is not acceptable in 21st-century Britain.” 

Tom criticised Yorkshire Water’s performance, noting that it is officially rated as “lagging behind” by Ofwat and has one of the worst pollution records in the country. At the same time, households are facing bill increases of up to 41 per cent over the next five years, alongside declining customer service and repeated service failures. 

He also highlighted how the Water Special Measures Act’s promised bonus ban has been undermined by loopholes, allowing senior executives to receive large payments despite rising pollution and public anger. 

“This may have been lawful, but it is completely unacceptable,” Tom said. “It shows just how weak the system still is - and why people have lost faith.”