Water companies should be owned by billpayers, not controlled by mayors

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

Responding to reports that Prime Minister Andy Burnham plans to announce a 10-year water plan with nine new regional bodies to oversee water firms, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson, Tim Farron MP, said:

"After a summer of hosepipe bans and sewage being dumped at the first sight of rain, Andy Burnham thinks the answer is more politicians on boards. Water companies shouldn't be controlled by mayors, they should be owned by the people. No one is asking for more politicians and everyone knows there are better solutions.

"This isn't a solution, it's a stitch-up for the very water companies who caused this mess. Bills will keep going up, sewage will keep going in, and when these companies go under it'll be customers who bail them out.

"The only real fix is taking water out of the hands of profiteers and putting it into mutual ownership, run by and for the people who actually use it. Everything else is window dressing."

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

First reported by The Telegraph here.