Voters overwhelmingly support legally binding sewage spill targets

Eight in 10 voters support the next government setting legally binding targets to reduce sewage spills.

A senior figure at Ipsos, which carried out the polling, warned utilities that whoever wins the election, there is public clamour for them to crack down on water and energy companies.

Gideon Skinner, senior director at Ipsos, told attendees at Utility Week’s Summer Drinks “there’s work for your sector to do in countering sceptical public attitudes”.

He highlighted polling carried out between 12-13 June showing 83% support the Liberal Democrat manifesto policy of legally binding targets to reduce sewage discharges into sensitive nature sites. Just 5% oppose such a move.

Some 77% want to see environmental experts on the boards of water companies, another Lib Dem pledge, while Labour’s promise to decarbonise the power system by 2030 is backed by three quarters of those polled.

Keir Starmer’s Great British Energy plan is supported by almost two thirds (60%) of the public, according to Ipsos, which shows 14% in opposition to the idea.

Skinner revealed the latest Ipsos findings in a speech exclusively for Utility Week members in London this week.

He warned that public distrust of utilities will influence whichever party forms the next government. As evidence of this widespread scepticism, he cited another survey from December which asked why people though bills were rising. This found 57% thought energy and water companies had done this to increase their profits. This compared to the same impression of petrol retailers (54%), insurance or broadband providers (both 53%) and supermarkets (36%).

However, Skinner stressed that Labour figures have told Ipsos they are willing to engage with industry over key trade-offs.

He said: “Even if they’re not going to agree with you, MPs want to understand where you’re coming from. If they have all the information that makes it less likely that you’ll get a kneejerk reaction to a bad news story.”

He added: “You all need to be thinking about how you’re going to engage with this new administration.”

While all of the polling suggests a majority Labour government being formed on 5 July, Skinner highlighted public perception of Labour remains relatively low and that Starmer could be the most unpopular opposition leader ever to become prime minister.

He said: “It’s not 2019, it’s not the Brexit election, it’s the dissatisfaction election. The public are gloomy about a whole range of different things.

“All the polling indicators are working against the Conservatives and particularly they are losing support in areas where they are strongest, which is why we are seeing those swathe of seats predicted to fall.

“So it looks like Labour are going into government but not with a whole lot of enthusiasm (from the public).”

On the likely impact for utilities, he said: “There’s work for your sector to do in countering sceptical public attitudes, while Labour supporters are more open to a more interventionist policy and have wider expectations when it comes to company behaviour.

“But Labour will still be relying on business so engaging with the public and politicians is going to be really important for you.”