Today the UK wakes up to a new Labour government. Large shifts such as the one the people have voted for this week pave the way for many opportunities for change – we will be closely watching what this means for our rivers and for nature, and seizing all opportunities to ensure that we see positive, long-term and sustainable outcomes for our vital waterways.

We’re ready to work with our new government on long-term strategic approaches to nature and river restoration, and we will be keeping a close eye on the pre-election promises made. The Labour manifesto indicated that they are taking the issue of sewage pollution seriously and we will watch to see that this happens.

We will also encourage Ministers to move towards long-term holistic water management by taking up our election asks to increase funding and empower Catchment Partnerships properly, drive strong enforcement so that polluters are made to pay, prioritise the use of catchment and nature-based solutions and citizen science, and ultimately work across sectors to support evidence-based, collaborative solutions for environmental and infrastructure challenges that don't break the bank.

We’d also like to thank those who took this opportunity to Vote For Rivers and visited the ballot box with nature in mind this week. Every individual voice and vote does matter, and for the countless services that healthy rivers can provide, our waterways deserve us to stand up for them together.

Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive Officer