On 15 May, Liberal Democrat MPs forced a vote on criminalising sewage dumping. Our measure would send big bosses of water companies to court personally.
Our Labour MP didn't even show up, so the Conservatives blocked it.
This is just a few weeks after he voted with the Conservatives to make it harder for the sewage dumping watchdog to issue fines.
Charlie Murphy, who is campaigning to become Portsmouth's next Liberal Democrat MP said:
People tell me they are disappointed in their MP turning his back on this issue. Time and time again, he is told our city wants the water companies held to account. As soon as he gets back to Westminster, he is voting to let big water bosses off the hook or going missing whenever there is a vote to hold them to account.
On the same day as the MP's no-show, news broke that the number of sewage dumping pipes might be far higher than initially thought.
The Government acknowledges 22,000 sewage dumping pipes exist.
A leading expert and former government advisor says 10,000 other pipes could be unmonitored, fuelling a five fold increase in fish deaths.
Councillor Peter Candlish, whose ward includes Eastney Beach said:
It is disgraceful. Already last year was the worst we've ever seen for sewage dumping, now we're told even more dumping could be going on completely unmonitored.
Members of the Portsmouth Liberal Democrat Party have selected local campaigner Simon Dodd to represent the party at the next General Election in Portsmouth North.
