Lib Dems put sewage at heart of campaign as party eyes ‘blue wall’ seats

The party hopes to win over Tory voters at the local elections disgusted with inaction over sewage dumping in rivers

Sewage has become a major battleground in the local elections in so-called blue wall" seats, where the Liberal Democrats are challenging the Conservatives, from Guildford to Cambridgeshire.

The Lib Dems have put eliminating sewage dumps at the heart of their campaign, with the party leader, Ed Davey, planning to launch their fight at the River Wandle in Wimbledon on Wednesday. He is calling for a tax on sewage companies to fund the clean up of local rivers, which can see waste pumped out into the environment when there is heavy rainfall.