During the recent UK heatwave, anyone lucky enough to live near a lido has enjoyed a cool, blue lifesaver. Now, a group of 20 Labour MPs, backed by the Fabian Society, wants water companies to fund the revival of Britain's lost lidos, ensuring this relief isn't just for the privileged few.

A new Fabian Society report calls on Andy Burnham - expected to become the next prime minister - to use the forthcoming water bill to make water companies responsible for funding public swimming spots like lidos. These art deco beauties, built in the 1930s, were cheap, cheerful, and designed for public health. But by the 1980s, nearly two-thirds were derelict or demolished. From over 300 lidos in the 1930s, only about a third remained open by 1990.

Some lidos are still closing today, though communities fight back. Tooting Bec lido, the UK's biggest freshwater outdoor pool, was saved in the 1990s by a swimming club that took over its less profitable winter management. Former Conservative cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt campaigned for years to reopen Hillsea lido in Portsmouth - even appearing on TV in a swimsuit for the show Splash to raise funds. It finally opened this year.

Andrew Pakes, Labour MP for Peterborough, saved his city's lido from mothballing and now leads a campaign group of MPs with at-risk lidos. "My Peterborough lido turned 90 this year and was almost shut down two years ago," he said. "1,500 people used it on bank holiday Monday last week."

The Fabian Society report argues lidos are more than pools: "The factory worker, the coalminer, the office clerk, the apprentice, and the housewife had as much right to lounge on a sundeck as the aristocrat on an ocean liner." It proposes a duty for water companies to promote safe outdoor swimming, potentially through new builds, refurbishments, or swimming lakes.

Outdoor swimming is booming as the climate heats. Better, the nation's largest public swimming operator, reported summer 2025 as its busiest ever: 542,998 swim visits between June and August - up 30% from 416,847 in 2024. Pakes noted, "With hotter summers, we need the public health and public benefit."

Other MPs are joining the splash: Beccy Cooper and Tom Rutland in Worthing seek funding for a Grade II-listed seafront lido; Simon Opher in Stroud aims to fix an art deco lido that closed in 2025 due to £5m refurbishment costs; Sam Rushworth in Bishop Auckland backs Stanhope lido's reopening; and Jack Abbott in Ipswich champions Broomhill lido's £10m restoration, aiming for a 2026 reopening after two decades of campaigning.