EXTINCTION Rebellion (XR) protesters have unveiled a blue plaque in Colchester High Street more than a year after MPs voted against imposing laws which could have reduced sewage discharge into rivers.
An amendment to the Environment Act 2021 would have placed a legal obligation on water companies to reduce pollution – but it was rejected by MPs in a House of Commons vote.
A total of 265 MPs, including Colchester's Will Quince, voted in favour of passing the bill in its final form without the amendment.
Some 202 MPs voted against the bill, including Harwich and North Essex MP Sir Bernard Jenkin.
On Saturday, members of the XR Colchester group conducted a spoof unveiling of a blue plaque, a sign which normally commemorates a connection between a building and a famous person.
About 40 people turned up outside the former site of the Conservative Association Club at 1.30pm on Saturday to watch protestors put up the sign, which read: “Will Quince MP voted against a law requiring water companies to dump less raw sewage in our water ways and seas: 20 Oct 2021."
It was part of a series of spoof unveilings which XR staged across the UK on Saturday to criticise MPs’ voting on the Environment Act.
The spokesman for XR Colchester, Dr Ellisif Wasmuth, explained why the blue plaque was put up more than a year after the passing of the Environment Act.
She said: “I think it’s in the nature of blue plaques that they are put up for historical facts, and I think this is just one example of Conservative MPs and the Government, and MPs like Will Quince, who are not taking it seriously that we are in an ecological emergency.”
Labour, Liberal Democrat, Green and Conservative representatives were invited to the ceremony, though only Green councillor Mark Goacher took up the invitation.
Dr Wasmuth added that although she supports XR becoming less disruptive, the campaign group will not be scaling back its action.
She said: “What we have said is that we will not be disrupting the public. That doesn’t mean that we won’t be disrupting businesses, MPs, the Government – people who are responsible for the climate and economic emergency.”
Mr Quince has been approached for comment.
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