Sir John Armitt, chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission, said there was an “increasing urgency” for more reservoirs amid the threat of water shortages. Speaking out against nimbleism – those who say “not in my backyard” – Sir John warned that backing down on local campaigning would cost the Conservatives at the polls. “If you consistently fail to ensure that the basic infrastructure that everyone needs to live their lives is provided, then people are not going to vote for you, sooner or later,” he said. The tsar added: “A local politician will clearly do what he can, one way or another, to support his constituents and make the case as best he can for them. That’s why decisions must be made at the national government level.” His intervention comes as environment secretary George Eustice is said to be pushing officials to get behind a “national water network”. The cabinet minister wants to invest in a massive project that would see pipelines take water from the wetter parts of the west of England to the drier east of the country, the Sunday Times reported. But Mr Eustice is one of several ministers putting forward ideas during a period of “zombie government” in which no major investment can go ahead until Boris Johnson’s successor in No 10 is chosen by Tory MPs. Leadership hopeful Rishi Sunak has promised to speed up approvals for reservoir upgrades, help farmers invest in water storage and crack down on water companies that don’t deal with leaks. And campaigner Liz Truss has also promised tough enforcement action on water companies, saying they “must be held to account” for leaks and a lack of investment in infrastructure. But Minette Batters, the president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), said this week that none of the Tories had produced an adequate plan to tackle the water crisis. “I call on both candidates to commit to food security and water must be one of the first places we start,” Ms Batters told the Guardian. “It is unethical and unethical to think we can continue to allow our water to be wasted.” Agriculture chiefs have warned that some crops, including potatoes and other vegetables, could fail this year because of the heat and water supply problems. Ms Batters said the situation was “really serious”. The farmers also demanded new tanks as soon as possible. Andrew Blenkiron, manager of the Euston Estate in Suffolk, said: “We need reservoirs built next summer to fill next winter.” Water Minister Steve Double has warned water companies they could face fines if progress is not made on the leaks soon. “If we don’t see the progress we expect, we will not hesitate to take further action,” he told The Mail on Sunday. On Friday, an official drought was declared in eight areas of England by the National Drought Group (NDG), a body made up of representatives from the government, water companies and the Environment Agency. England’s drought could continue into next year, according to the agency. John Curtin, executive director for local businesses, said after the driest summer in 50 years, it would take “weeks of rain” to replenish water sources. Three water companies – Welsh Water, Southern Water and South East Water – have imposed pipe bans, while Yorkshire Water has announced the ban will start on August 26. Thames Water is planning one in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Mr Sunak has been accused of undermining the government’s climate policy as he promised to boost oil and gas production in the North Sea through a new deregulation effort. Pointing to another wave of rising temperatures, fires and drought across England, Greenpeace’s Doug Parr said: “His plans for energy independence have completely ignored the fact that we are also facing a climate crisis.”
