Scotland Demands Apology from UK Minister Over Water Pollution Claims

UK Environment Secretary Steve Reed claimed in a Channel 4 interview that pollution levels in Scotland are worse than in England, using this as an argument against nationalising water services in England. This statement prompted strong backlash from the Scottish Government, with Climate Secretary Gillian Martin demanding a retraction and apology, describing Reed's comments as "inaccurate and misleading." Martin cited the Independent Water Commission report led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, which found that 66% of Scotland's water bodies are of good ecological status, compared to 16.1% in England and 29.9% in Wales. Scottish Water also defended Scotland's water quality, highlighting that 87% of water bodies in Scotland are rated good or excellent by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and noted that Scotland is the UK's top-performing and most trusted water company. Critics argue that the better water quality in Scotland is partly due to lower population density and significant investment in water infrastructure driven by public ownership. The dispute underscores contrasting views on public versus private ownership of water services and ongoing concerns about sewage spills and governance issues in England's water firms.