Feargal Sharkey claims 'we've been had' as raw sewage stats are revealed
The GMB congress has been discussing the latest sewage spill figures
Last updated 9th Jun 2026
Wessex Water reportedly released raw sewage into UK waterways almost 25,000 times in 2025, according to the Environment Agency records.
The spills amounted to 190,666 hours of untreated sewage discharge, triggering discussions at the GMB congress in Blackpool.
The government has recently announced the replacement of Ofwat with a new 'super regulator,' prompting the GMB to advocate for a worker seat on the regulator's board.
Feargal Sharkey, known for his advocacy in water issues and as the former frontman of The Undertones, addressed the GMB Conference participants.
Feargal Sharkey said: "The brutal reality is as employees, bill payers, as customers, we have been lied to, we’ve been misled, we’re being extorted, we’ve been cheated.
"For 37 years, we’ve been subjected to nothing more than the greatest act of organised criminality perpetrated against the British people.
"We’ve had little in return apart from corporate greed, profiteering, financial engineering, political failure and regulatory incompetence.
"In short, we’ve been had.
"In reality, this Thatcherite theme park has delivered nothing but pain, sorrow and anger."
The GMB congress has been discussing the sewage spill figures and propose a motion for permanent worker representation to prevent future regulatory failures.
Sharkey's speech underlines the urgency of addressing the myriad challenges posed by corporate mismanagement and regulatory shortcomings.
'Wessex Water doesn’t dump or pump raw sewage anywhere'
A Wessex Water spokesperson said: “Wessex Water doesn’t dump or pump raw sewage anywhere.
"Licensed storm overflows operate automatically during or after extremely wet weather, discharging mostly rainwater and groundwater to prevent flooding.”