“We need real change, not half measures. The country needs action, not a PR exercise. Public ownership is the only solution to this public emergency.”
By the Fire Brigades Union
The Westminster government has today released its white paper, A new vision for water. It follows the Cunliffe Review, which was prevented from looking at ownership models.
Steve Wright, Fire Brigades Union General Secretary, said:
“The UK water industry has failed to invest for decades. Over that period, shareholders have extracted enormous profits while costs to users have rocketed.
In 2020, while seeking election as Labour leader, Keir Starmer recognised this failure and promised to bring water back into public ownership.
The Water White Paper could have been an opportunity to make good on that promise. But, however strongly worded, regulation is not the solution. Regulation has failed.
We need real change, not half measures. The country needs action, not a PR exercise. Public ownership is the only solution to this public emergency.
It is the only sure way to ensure adequate investment in maintenance, infrastructure and future-proofing.
The FBU calls on all MPs to ensure any legislation delivers this. Decrepit water supply and appalling sewage management must be fixed as a matter of urgency. All aspects of this failure must be addressed.
We are almost alone in the world in having a fully privatised water system. It is expensive, dangerous and unreliable. It is not the job of the Labour Party to uphold hard-line Thatcherite models of ownership.
It’s time to end this failed experiment and bring water back into public ownership.”
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- This article was originally published by the FBU on 20 January 2026.
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