Keir Starmer just flushed away the last chance to renationalise the water industry

The Labour Party government has announced a review of the water industry and its regulation. Whilst it states it is the ‘largest review of sector since privatisation’ – the review is not even going to look at privatisation. Something smells suspicious – and it’s not just the raw sewage spilling into the sea.

Water industry stinks to high heaven

According to the governments own website, the commission will form the next stage of their long-term approach in:

ensuring we have a sufficiently robust and stable regulatory framework to attract the investment needed to clean up our waterways, speed up infrastructure delivery and restore public confidence in the sector.

However, as many people on X pointed out, the government could solve all of these problems by bringing water back into public ownership:

It’s really not that complicated: bring water into public ownership, now. pic.twitter.com/EJF2SGHD2N

— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) October 23, 2024

Please just re-nationalise it.

Democratic control through government is absolutely necessary to correct the damage done by the private extractors. https://t.co/NBcstIUDlV

— Councillor Luke Farley (@FarleyLabour) October 23, 2024

Water privatisation isn’t working

Since the government privatised the water industry in 1989, conditions have plummeted while prices have skyrocketed. Yet still, Labour refuse to tackle the actual problem – that is, privatisation itself:

How can the ‘Independent’ Water Commission be ‘independent’ if it excludes a review into ownership?

The evidence is clear: privatisation has failed.

Water bills up by 40% & £60 billion of debt yet shareholders being handed £78 billion.

Any review MUST consider ownership.

— Beth Winter (@BethWinterCynon) October 23, 2024

Susanna Reid: “Privatisation, from all the evidence, isn’t working”

Jonathan Ashworth: nationalising the water industry wouldn’t necessarily fix the problem but if the govts expert review recommends it thats what the govt should do.

Except the review isn’t looking at ownership pic.twitter.com/a7goXKAFLT

— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) October 23, 2024

Unthinkable this review won’t even consider bringing water back into public hands

Privatisation is, and always will be, the problem

Meanwhile @SouthernWater seeks to raise my constituents’ bills by 84% to pay for its lack of investment. Outrageous. https://t.co/e5Z0o0AjUy

— Sian Berry (@sianberry) October 23, 2024

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) could take a similar stance to Wales. Water companies are run as not-for-profits, however companies are still be allowed to award outrageous bonuses.

This would be a weaker form of nationalisation. Not for profit is good, but still allows for bonuses and massive salaries.

Clearly big salaries and bonuses don’t work because the rivers are full of 💩 and bills are through the roof.

Just nationalise water. Now. pic.twitter.com/gVEGc0hVtj

— Harry Eccles (@Heccles94) October 23, 2024

Apparently @DefraGovUK is considering forcing the sale of English water companies to firms that would run them as not-for-profits like Welsh Water.

Such structures are commonplace elsewhere in Europe, with public benefit being the top priority.

Would you support such an idea? pic.twitter.com/ebA921OyPL

— Dave Sumner Smith (@davesumnersmith) October 23, 2024

New commission may ban English water companies from making profit.

PR spin.

That’s not what the Water (Special Measures) Bill contains.

Ministers say nationalisation would cost “tens of billions of pounds”. But couldn’t provide any data to parliament.https://t.co/VvfzS8B6Wx

— Prem Sikka (@premnsikka) October 23, 2024

Private firms in their back pockets

Meanwhile, Good Morning Britain (yes, GMB!) were grilling environment secretary Steve Reed over something that reeks. It was Reed himself – or more precisely – him accepting freebies from the parent company of a water firm. Why he wouldn’t be looking at that same company’s handling of UK sewage and water infrastructure is a mystery not even Scooby Doo could solve:

Steve Reed denies that taking a particular bribe has influenced his handling of the water industry because the bribe came from a telecoms company. #GMB pic.twitter.com/D9S8gRv5PU

— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) October 23, 2024

It should be what the people want, not what the private firms with a revolving door to parliament want, but that’s not how it’s going under sewage-monger Starmer:

😡Environment Secretary Steve Reed casually dismisses renationalising water companies.

Yet 82% of the public want water in public ownership.

If you think the Government is wrong to disregard public opinion, tell them so.https://t.co/iVWhzAbLgB pic.twitter.com/jRK42AgyKs

— We Own It (@We_OwnIt) October 23, 2024

There is talk of The Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) being scrapped altogether. However, the announcement of the commission is failing to grasp the basics. Private water companies are to blame. As is any government who continues to allow them to get away with ripping the country off, while simultaneously poisoning our waterworks:

It’s clear @ofwat has failed as a regulator but so has privatisation. Massive profits paid to shareholders, companies loaded with debt, water shortages in some areas & sewage dumped in our rivers & beaches

Review should conclude privatisation was a disaster – because it is…

— Adrian Ramsay (@AdrianRamsay) October 23, 2024

David Henderson, head of the privatised water industry trade body: “all of us bear some responsibility”

erm no, your members, the private water companies, are to blame. They’ve been ripping us off for years, & the industry should be nationalised so they can’t keep doing it. pic.twitter.com/yh28bWFuPK

— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) October 23, 2024

As usual, Keir Starmer’s government are skirting around the real issue. This should flush away any lingering notion the Labour government is in it for anything other than its own interests.

Feature image via the Canary