Union call for water renationalisation doused

The trade union GMB’s calls for the water sector to be renationalised have been doused by MPs and water bodies alike today. Yesterday the union called on the Labour party […]

The trade union GMB’s calls for the water sector to be renationalised have been doused by MPs and water bodies alike today.

Yesterday the union called on the Labour party to make this a part of its manifesto in the run up to elections in 2015.

It claimed the only way to stop “rip off” water bills is to create a “level playing field for consumers”.

But a spokesperson for Labour’s Shadow Environment Secretary Maria Eagle told ELN renationalisation was unlikely to feature in the next manifesto.

The Labour MP appeared to agree with the union’s sentiment though. Yesterday as the Water Bill got its third reading in the House of Commons, she said water companies are making “eye-watering amounts of money, while UK customers face some of the highest bills in Europe”.

Water UK which represents water companies said £16 billion had been invested into the sector in the 25 years since privatisation, cleaning up Britain’s beaches.

A spokesperson told ELN the country now has possibly the best water quality in the world, adding: “We think the current water system works well for consumers.”

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