Phil Brickell, who was elected as MP for Bolton West, in July, is a passionate kayaker and believes paddlers have a crucial role to play in looking after our waterways. He is helping to keep the issue of improving the health of our rivers and responsible access to them, at the top of the political agenda.
How did you get into kayaking?
I was fortunate in that my secondary school had an outdoor pursuits centre, in Patterdale, and so my first experience was getting in a boat on Ullswater. I was instantly hooked and my first experience on moving water was on the Irwell at the Burrs site in Bury. More than 25 years later, I still have vivid memories of the first time going down the 6 metre high sloping weir at the top of the site, rafted up with other first-time paddlers and wondering what I had let myself into!
What does kayaking mean to you?
Kayaking for me is about the freedom to enjoy yourself in the open air, to push your own personal boundaries on the water, to build lifelong friendships with other paddlers and travel to parts of this country I otherwise wouldn’t have the privilege of seeing. Kayaking has also taken me all over the Alps, to Uganda and to Nepal, and I have some incredible memories from many days out on the water.
How dismayed do you feel about the state of our waterways? What have you faced doing what you love?
It’s soul-destroying seeing the pollution, having to worry about whether you’re going to get sick or not and also thinking about the damage that storm overflows and run-off causes to nature. I’m pleased that cleaning up our rivers is top of the political agenda, with new laws going through Parliament at the moment to clean up our rivers. I’ve been working with government ministers to go as far as possible in ensuring those responsible for degrading our rivers are held to account and frequently cite my first-hand experience on our rivers to stress how important this is.
How positive do you feel about the future of our rivers?
I’m an optimist, and my reasoning is simple. The country at large knows more about the state our rivers than they ever have done and there’s a widespread desire to clean them up. You only need to look at the scale of the recent March for Clean Water in London to see how much this matters to people. I’ve spent more than two decades on rivers across England, Scotland and Wales and I’ve never known this much interest in our waterways.
In what ways can ‘responsible access’, to those rivers people are currently prohibited to use, help our waterways?
I mentioned access in my maiden speech in Parliament and continue to do so. Recreational users are often the custodians of our waterways – cleaning them up, removing invasive species, maintaining access and egress points for all. I’ve always said that access must be responsible, that we should leave no trace behind, that paddlers have a vital role to play in looking after our waterways and that we must ensure access to waterways is not forgotten as part of wider discussions about getting out into nature. Only 3% of inland waterways in England and Wales have uncontested access – that simply can’t be right.
Phil spoke about access and the environment in a rural affairs debate on 11 November 2024. You can read what he said, here.
Find out more about Phil Brickell MP on his official Parliamentary website >>
