Thames Water should be nationalised, says Andy Burnham

Andy Burnham said water company profits had almost doubled while people experienced hefty hikes to their bills. Photograph: Ryan Jenkinson/Getty View image in fullscreen Andy Burnham said water company profits had almost doubled while people experienced hefty hikes to their bills. Photograph: Ryan Jenkinson/Getty Thames Water should be nationalised, says Andy Burnham Exclusive: Labour’s Makerfield byelection candidate advocates public ownership of water companies as he prepares for potential leadership bid Thames Water should be nationalised, Andy Burnham has said, revealing public ownership of water companies would “absolutely be an option” under his potential leadership of the Labour party. Burnham, Labour’s candidate in the Makerfield byelection , has previously called for “greater public control” over the companies. In an interview with the Guardian, he has confirmed this could mean nationalisation. “Public ownership is absolutely an option,” he said. “I would say for Thames Water , that is what should be done.” The Manchester mayor has been sharpening up his offer to the country in preparation for a leadership election, should he win on the 18 June. The Guardian understands he has met water campaigners including the former Undertones frontman, Feargal Sharkey, who is an outspoken advocate for nationalisation of water. Privatised water companies in England have presided over widespread pollution of the rivers and seas, while failing to invest in infrastructure that has contributed to recent water shortages. Many of the companies have been loaded with debt, while shareholders have been paid billions in dividends. In Scotland, water is nationalised, and in Wales their sole water company is a not-for-profit company. View image in fullscreen The Guardian understands that Burnham has met water campaigners including the former Undertones frontman, Feargal Sharkey. Photograph: Krisztián Elek/Sopa Images/Shutterstock Thames Water is England’s largest, serving about a quarter of the population. Since the company was privatised under Margaret Thatcher, the successive venture capital firms that have owned it have drowned the company in about £20bn of debt, and it is now close to collapse. The government is deciding whether to take it into special administration, a form of temporary nationalisation, or accept a deal offered by its creditors which would write off up to £1bn in fines for illegally polluting the environment. If the government signs off on the deal, the company would be part-controlled by the billionaire Trump donor and hedge funder Paul Singer. What does Andy Burnham mean by more ‘public control’ of water and energy? He is too vague Read more Burnham said: “If you look at the situation that we have here in the Makerfield constituency, people have recently experienced hefty hikes in their bills. The profits of the water company have almost doubled, if not doubled. If you look at water as an industry as a whole, it’s run predominantly in the