#ASongOrMovieForSewage: Why is it trending?

The recent sewage overflow incident affected 40 rivers and seas in the country.

Twitter account @FGFriendlies started a trend called #ASongOrMovieForSewage today.

The hashtag has since gained traction on the social media platform along with #TorySewageParty, which started after the recent dumping of raw sewage in 40 of the country's rivers and seas.

The game's host, Syed Abdul Razak, stated, "Today since #TorySewageParty has been trending in the UK for several days, let's play: #ASongOrMovieForSewage," in a tweet.

The #ASongOrMovieFor friendly hashtag game started in 2021 and revolves around using the day's featured hashtag, which usually starts with "A Song Or Movie For" and follows with a word or phrase related to a trending topic.

The hashtag #TorySewageParty started after heavy rain was experienced and raw sewage was dumped in 40 of the country's rivers and seas.

The MPs (Member of Parliament) of the Conservative Party, also known as the Tories, voted down an amendment in October 2021 that removed the responsibility from sewage companies to make sure untreated sewage does not overflow, especially during storms.

268 Tory MPs voted to change the amendment while 202 opposed it. Of the entire Conservative Party, only 22 rebelled against watering down the original amendment and sided with the Liberal Democrats, Labour, and the Greens.

This happened after the recommendation of George Eustice, the United Kingdom's Environment Secretary, in a statement he made on May 18, 2021.

A full list of the MP's votes can be found here.

During the discussion, those who agreed to edit Amendment 45 of the Environment Bill reasoned that approximately £660 billion would have to be spent on changing the sewage system. One particular Tory MP, Robert Courts, even stated that it would cost "more than the entire schools, policing and defence budgets put together."

Water Minister Steve Double added, "We are the first government to take action to tackle sewage overflows. We have been clear that water companies' reliance on overflows is unacceptable, and they must significantly reduce how much sewage they discharge as a priority.