Tories 'Literally Covered This Country In Sh**', Cabinet Minister Says

<div><img src="https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/68da1b2f18000043225d070b.jpeg?ops=scalefit_630_noupscale" alt="Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Housing, arrives for a Cabinet meeting in Downing Street, London, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025." data-caption="Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Housing, arrives for a Cabinet meeting in Downing Street, London, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025." data-credit-link-back="" data-credit="via Associated Press" />Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Housing, arrives for a Cabinet meeting in Downing Street, London, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025.</div><div class="content-list-component text"><p>A cabinet minister has accused the <a href="news/conservatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Conservatives</a> of “covering this country in shit” – and claimed <a href="news/labour" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Labour</a> are the “disinfectant”.</p><p>Housing secretary <a href="news/steve-reed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Steve Reed</a>, who was the environment secretary before <a href="news/keir-starmer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Keir Starmer’s</a> latest reshuffle, attacked the last government during a fringe event at <a href="news/labour-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Labour’s</a> annual conference last night.</p><p>Speaking from Liverpool, he said: “In my old brief, we secured £100 billion of private sector investment to start cleaning up pollution from our rivers, lakes and seas.</p><p>“We had to do that because the <a href="news/conservatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tories</a> literally covere