Defra facing £500m real-terms cut after autumn statement

In this article in the Guardian, it is revealed how research by the Liberal Democrats has rvealed how the work of Defra is being hindered by cuts to its funding.

Water companies have dumped sewage 775,568 times for more than 5.7m hours over the last two years. Meanwhile, water company bosses have paid themselves £51.1m in remuneration including £30.6m in bonuses.

The Liberal Democrat spokesperson for the environment, Tim Farron, said: "Whilst banks are being unjustly rewarded with slashed taxes, the department which is supposed to deal with the sewage crisis is getting their budgets slashed. Frankly, the whole thing stinks.

"This budget cut gives a licence for companies to pump sewage into our precious rivers and Britain's treasured coastlines.

"Funding to stop sewage poisoning in our waterways should be protected at all costs. We have otters being poisoned and children getting ill because water companies dump sewage where they want. All whilst they make multimillion pound profits and pay their execs eye-watering bonuses.

"This government's priorities are all wrong. They put big banks and water companies over wildlife and children's health."

There have also been fears that the government's inability to put in place post-Brexit nature-friendly farming payments will cause the Treasury to slash the budget for it, leaving agriculture businesses unable to function. Food and farming makes up more than 80% of the day-to-day spending budget, this is driven by £1.8bn in rural payments to farmers.