Andy Burnham is urged to consider emergency legislation, court-ordered public control, or licence revocation for Thames Water, which needs £2.4bn to survive.
01Summary
- 01Thames Water requires £2.4bn to remain operational and is financially insolvent, with doubts about surviving into 2027.
- 02Tax accountant Richard Murphy proposes emergency legislation to nationalise assets, not the company, leaving liabilities behind.
- 03Professor Ewen McGaughey suggests using the 1991 Water Industry Act's special administration to bring Thames Water into public ownership at near zero cost.
- 04Cat Hobbs of We Own It calls for immediate licence removal under the 1991 Water Services Act due to insolvency and failure of statutory duties.
- 05Public ownership could save £3bn to £5bn annually from cheaper financing, no dividends, and reduced debt costs.
02Why it matters
This matters because Thames Water supplies a quarter of the UK population, and its collapse could disrupt water services, while current bills are among the highest in Europe amid widespread pollution and leaks.
Pulse AIAsk about this story
Answers are generated by AI from the story summary; they are not investment, health or legal advice.
