The bosses of water companies that pollute waterways could go to prison under a new law the British government says will help clean up the country’s sewage-clogged rivers, lakes and beaches.

A bill introduced in Parliament on Thursday will give regulators the ability to ban bonuses for executives of polluting firms and bring criminal charges against lawbreakers, with the possibility of up to two years’ imprisonment for executives who obstruct investigations.

The state of Britain’s waterways made a stink during the campaign for a July 4 national election. For critics of the Conservative Party that had been in office since 2010, dirty water was a pungent symbol of Britain’s aging infrastructure and the effects of privatization of essential utilities.

  • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
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    2 months ago

    Big bosses will do anything to avoid prison … even follow laws.

    That’s what prisons achieve in this context.

    • Redruth@feddit.nl
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      2 months ago

      Ah, i see. build empty prisons as a deterrent to the rich. brilliant! simply brilliant!

      • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
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        2 months ago

        Does the UK not have any prisons? Really??

        I know they do, so why build any more?? The bosses can do their time in gen pop, just like anyone else.

        • symthetics@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          Interestingly, it seems the last government were sitting on a massive prison overcrowding crisis, and there is now talk of sending prisoners to Estonian prisons to ease it.

          To be honest, I’d imagine that’d be an even stronger deterrent for these pissbags. I can’t imagine an Estonian prison being very accommodating!