The last week or so has been extremely challenging for residents and businesses in Rye, Camber, East Guldeford, Rye Harbour and Winchelsea Beach. Access to a ready supply of clean water is something that we all rightly expect. Southern Water has much to learn from the leak, which it failed to properly manage for a number of days, and this caused widespread issues for individuals, families and businesses alike. Those with health concerns have faced severe difficulties, others have suffered major inconvenience and businesses have had to close, turn away customers and bear significant losses or additional costs just to stay open.
Whilst I recognise the scale and complexity of repairing the leak, the time taken by Southern Water to address the water supply issues is unjustifiable. What makes it worse is that they failed to put in place acceptable alternatives at the outset – most importantly, bottled water or an alternative temporary supply hubs for those in need, and it took pressure from me and many constituents to make this happen. One of my team took matters into her own hands one night, and delivered twelve bottles of water to a vulnerable household with a terminally ill person to ensure that they had water.
Since the leak was first reported to me, I was in contact with Southern Water several times a day, exerting pressure at the highest levels within the company, urging them to fulfil their obligations to restore the supply as a priority, and to make alternative arrangements where needed. I can assure all of those affected that I did everything I was able to do, including alerting Rother District Council and the relevant government ministers, asking for their help. I have visited the leak site a couple of times to find out why the leak is taking so long to fix, and I have pressed Southern Water to properly compensate those affected without delay.
It has unfortunately come to my attention that some Southern Water employees have been frequently shouted at and faced verbal abuse when carrying out various works in the wider local area. When speaking to staff, it is clear that the many Southern Water issues also affect them in a different way. Many have faced abuse just for working at Southern Water, doing their job.
I too, along with my wonderful team, have experienced the abuse caused by the impact of the recent failures of Southern Water, and by other issues that the residents of Hastings and Rye look to me to resolve on their behalf.
I am an elected Member of Parliament representing the constituents of Hastings and Rye. The sole distinction between me and that of those who elected me is that they entrusted me to use my best efforts to enhance their lives and the lives of every citizen in the United Kingdom. This commitment guides my actions every day, seven days a week, as I strive to do my very best.
I am frequently dismayed and alarmed at the reports of hate and aggression that is directed towards professionals and people carrying out their daily work. While I understand that people who reach out to me feel passionately or have a deep conviction about a subject or even are at their wits’ end and believe that they have nowhere else to turn, the rudeness, discourtesy and abuse does not change the way in which I can try to address their concerns. Nevertheless, it does weigh heavily and causes me, and my wonderful team, considerable disquiet.
Bearing the brunt of animosity, enduring verbal and physical threats, and not experiencing the basic civility one would expect from strangers is a sad fact of life today for many, including doctors, nurses, teachers, police, retail staff and politicians. Every individual, regardless of their profession or political beliefs should be treated with basic respect and dignity as a human being. Dehumanising someone diminishes their worth and can lead to harmful consequences – which we have all witnessed in the media. Dehumanisation fuels hostility, polarisation and violence, undermining our ability to have productive discussions and make informed decisions. It causes great harm to our wider society.
Like many people who work in public service, I went into politics with a fervent desire to make things better and effect positive change. I believe that my record in this regard stands up to scrutiny. Receiving abuse, however, makes this so much more challenging.
I am resolved to continue to do my best, but I do ask for civility and respect in communications with me and my office. Treating one another with politeness and civility would make the task of making our society better for us all so much easier.
Image Credits: Kt Bruce .
Abuse of public employees, anger and threats against others doing their jobs, are unacceptable in all circumstances. Complaints should be made with courtesy. However, Ms Hart needs to understand that it was the Conservative government in 1989 that privatised the publicly-owned Regional Water Authorities (RWAs) in England and Wales — a decision that has led to the outrageous water network chaos we see today. Long-term underinvestment in the network’s infrastructure and a focus on stripping profits for shareholder dividends has led to the current situation, where billions of pounds are needed to bring the water network up to a reasonable standard. The longstanding problems with sewage overspills polluting rivers and sea are well-known and ongoing. Some people might think it’s a bit rich for Ms Hart to criticise Southern Water for the recent Rye pipe leak, or its response to it, when it was her own party that foolishly privatised our water system in the first place. It’s a clear case of a government refusing to acknowledge the huge mistake it made 34 years ago.
Ms Hart needs to be asking “Why is Rye suffering a massive water leak like this?” and doing something about it rather than boasting about “What I have done to encourage Southern Water to respond properly”. In fact, she should be leading a campaign to return our water network to public ownership. Why doesn’t she contact Rishi Sunak and ask him to do this immediately? Put it in the Tory Manifesto.
England is apparently the only country in the world to have a privatised for-profit water network. In 1980, a year after the Conservative Party came to power under Margaret Thatcher, investment in the public water system was only a third that of 1970. Ahead of water privatisation, the government curtailed the RWAs’ ability to borrow money for capital projects and then blamed them for failing to build infrastructure. Research carried out by the University of Greenwich in 2017 found that consumers in England were paying £2.3 billion a year more for their water provision and sewerage bills than they would have been if the system had remained under public ownership.
I agree with Sally-Ann Hart that, first and foremost, we should not harass or verbally abuse employees who have little control over events such as the water shortage.
I’d also like to thank Sally-Ann Hart for her efforts on our behalf and for all the other people who put pressure on Southern Water to rectify the situation.
Same old story, it’s all about the money! Southern Water would rather give money to their shareholders than invest back into the system and the government let them get away with it.
I feel sorry for those workers that have been abused, it’s not their fault, it’s the fat cats at the top…try reaching them! That’s who need to be ‘contacted’
This is happening more and more in this country with those at the bottom of the food chain having to suffer…change needs to happen, private ownership is not the way forward.
I don’t agree with the concept of ‘Private’ = Bad, ‘Public = Good.
I wish that life was that simple. The government takes in income and it finances the services we need. If pressure is brought to bear on a ‘popular’ service, it will get funding leaving vital other services under funded…I’ve seen this for fifty years…remember British Rail.
I agree Southern Water has been very poor in the past, but I have seen a seed change in the way they are working…and I start from here.
We have the cleanest drinking water in the world, and seas are the cleanest in this part of Europe…one pollution event is one to many and we get things better.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1203428/clean-water-index-europe-by-select-country/
Political parties aside, it cannot go without notice that Helena Dollimore stepped in far more quickly and actively from the beginning of this appalling incident. An old adage but ‘actions speak louder than words’.
I think Jane Watson is not putting political parties aside as she says. I don’t think it’s a competition and it’s a judgement based on supposition not facts. It’s inappropriate to try to curry favour for a prospective parliamentary candidate as she cannot know for sure who did the most to rectify the situation and not based on solid evidence. It doesn’t matter – lots of people put pressure on Southern Water.
Thank you for your comments, although I have to disagree. I have been following the SW debacle since its beginning with the sewage issue in the seas of Hastings. I still maintain that Helena Dollimore has been more active – and sooner – than Sally Ann Hart. My political choices have nothing to do with it and I don’t believe that Rye News would have published my thoughts had they deemed it to be politically led.
In reply to Jane Watson:
Have you read the replies by some of the other participants, who are blatantly led by political ideology on this thread, which are allowed by Rye News?
As I stated previously, I do not discuss my political opinions with ANYONE, let alone publish them on such a forum. I was referring to the timing of actions from Helena Dollimore and Sally Ann Hart. Other peoples’ political opinions are their own, too. Perhaps if you believe the publications to be politically biased, this isn’t the group for you?
Dear Sally-Ann Hart
I agree with you that ‘every individual, regardless of their profession or political beliefs should be treated with basic respect and dignity as a human being … Dehumanisation fuels hostility, polarisation and violence, undermining our ability to have productive discussions and make informed decisions.’
However, what we are seeing in this country is a deep lack of moral leadership, with Ministers repeatedly breaching the Ministerial Code with impunity and ignoring the Nolan Principles. It is no coincidence that hate crime and hooliganism have been on the rise since 2016. If ministers can ignore rules, lie, and behave disrespectfully, why shouldn’t everyone else?
Britain is moving closer to “flawed democracy” status, according to an international index that champions freedom, civil liberties and good governance. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) placed the nation in 18th place in its latest democracy rankings, behind Taiwan and Uruguay, and just ahead of Mauritius and Costa Rica.
Our country has slumped to its worst-ever score in a global ranking of perceptions of corruption – and joins Qatar, Myanmar, Oman and Azerbaijan in the group of countries that have experienced the most dramatic drops. Transparency International’s global Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) show the UK’s score fell sharply in 2022 to 73 out of 100 – its lowest since the Index underwent a major revamp in 2012. It means Britain has tumbled seven places in the global rankings from eleventh to eighteenth after a year of sleaze and cronyism scandals.
Some readers of Rye News wonder what politics has got to do with our community online paper. Just look at the headlines recently: polluted rivers, failing utility infrastructure, lack of housing and homelessness, increased poverty and use of the food bank, the swimming pool and other community assets struggling to remain viable – all these are a direct result of Conservative policies, which you unwaveringly support.
You say you ‘went into politics with a fervent desire to make things better and effect positive change. I believe that my record in this regard stands up to scrutiny.’ Do really, honestly, believe that? Now, more than ever, we need honesty, integrity and accountability from those in power.
Dominic hooliganism has not increased since 2016 – hooliganism was at its peak in the 70s.
I have been saddened by the inclusion of hate crime into our laws for several reasons – firstly it relies on perception / feelings – but only for those who have protected characteristics. Secondly we already had robust enough laws and thirdly it leads to the idea that we are not all equal before the law.
Having looked at Transparency International’s global Corruption Perceptions
https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2022
it is unclear how this index is decided -however we still score 73 (Germany is 9th on 79 Japan is the same as us and France just below on 72 for comparison) Qatar is on 58 Myanmar 23 and Oman 69 – I accept we may have fallen
However the website says :Transparency International receives funding from a range of donors, including government agencies, multilateral institutions, foundations, the private sector and individuals. So we do have to ask Cui bono? (who benefits)
Of course we all agree that ‘every individual, regardless of their profession or political beliefs should be treated with basic respect and dignity as a human being …’
If you truly want to see positive change, please commit to restoring trust! Be honest. Look around. At age 68 the political landscape currently looks terrifying to me. Lack of accountability is unforgivable. We know we’re being lied to!
The situation has gone beyond masking with etiquette. You can’t force people to be courteous when they’re desperate for the truth.
Abuse is not acceptable.
But I believe it demonstrates the level of utter frustration at the lack of power people feel for how so many matters are bad and wrong in our country for which WATER is a perfect example. Australian investors have earned billions from our water. While we swim in sewage.
As frustrated as many of us are with the state of our infrastructure and essential services, that frustration must never lead to abuse be it physical or verbal. I absolutely agree that standards matter, behaviour matters and language matters and the most effective way most of us can contribute to lasting change is by doing whatever we can locally for our community and by voting for change when the opportunity comes.
Quite a few comments have been made about paying dividends to Southern Water shareholders. I’m pleased not to be one of them as no dividends have been paid since 2017, and none are expected to be paid before 2025.
Michael, my understanding is that Southern Water’s non-payment of dividends in the last six years has not been of its own choosing, but is mainly related to debt issues and creditworthiness. For example, it was reported in July that Ofwat recommends a 60% debt level ceiling related to share price but SW’s has risen to 69%. The fact remains that when SW’s owner Macquarie owned Thames Water in the decade to 2017, it paid out many hundreds of millions of pounds in dividends sourced from customers’ water bills and left the company with a mountain of debt. No other country’s water network is run in this fashion, for good reason.