This blog will display news and events information in chronological order, newest first, plus a list of the most recent posts. The drop down Category list below It can be filtered by category from the list, which is in alphabetical order.
Message from Clive Lewis MP
There’s a wave about to hit Parliament: a petition to hold a referendum on public ownership of water is just shy of 100,000 signatures – the number needed to trigger a public debate.
The petition was launched by Ashley Smith of Windrush Against Sewage Pollution. Sound familiar? Ash’s story, uncovering the private water scandal, was the core of Channel 4’s groundbreaking docudrama Dirty Business.
This is our chance to turn the mass public outrage from scandals like those exposed in Dirty Business into a concrete demand: public ownership.
| Can you help get it over the line and force that debate? |
| Sign the petition |
| Last month, your efforts packed a room with over 100 MPs to hear from the brave water campaigners featured in Dirty Business. We have so much more support from MPs than when we started, thanks to you.
Now, we need to mobilise that support. Get MPs to not just privately agree, but to publicly stand up for what’s right. A debate is the perfect opportunity.
|
| Share the petition on Bluesky |
| Share the petition on Twitter/X |
| Share the petition on Facebook |
| Share the petition on Whatsapp |
| This is our ground game. While the debate is being pushed for in Parliament, you’ve been building pressure constituency by constituency.
Over the past few months, dozens of you have been asking for meetings with your MPs to talk about public ownership of water. These are real people, sitting down face-to-face and telling them, point-blank, that no amount of regulation can fix a problem of ownership. That’s how we create political will. Thank you to champions like Sheila, Sally, Tony and more who are leading the charge across the country. |
| I want to thank you. It takes courage and commitment to step up and fight for what you believe in. But it moves mountains. And it’s proof that the strength of my interventions in Parliament depends on you.
Thank you, as always, for all you do to support this campaign. We’re gaining momentum. Let’s keep it up. |
| In solidarity,
Clive
Clive Lewis MP |
Update on the petition
Ash has written an excellent letter to Minister Emma Reynolds [attached] asking her to remove the error laden government response on the petition website which could put people off signing.
You can read Ash’s blog and letter here. You may want to take this up with your own MPs.
For the full rebuttal on all aspects of the government’s perpetual misrepresentation of the issues you can also read the People’s Commission rebuttal here
Clearly we are rattling some cages…. keep it up everyone. And please do keep sharing the petition.
as ever
Becky
Bring the water industry into public ownership
Dear friends
We want over a million signatures because we want the government to understand we have had enough of being ignored, and we want our MPs from all parties to listen to their constituencies and to represent them in the fight for healthy water and a healthy water industry.
This petition has a map so you can see how your constituency is doing for signatures, and so can your MP.
This is the text
Hold a binding national referendum on whether the water industry should be returned to public ownership. Water is a basic human necessity; we believe our privatised system has failed, so the public should decide who owns and controls it
Private water companies have about 62 million captive customers whose bills have delivered over £85 Bn to shareholders; money that in public ownership could have been spent on fixing our infrastructure. No other country in the world has privatised water like this. We believe that proposed government reforms to regulation show that water company owners are being favoured over the public, and this is not right in a democracy. A referendum would give the public back its voice about its water.
Notes
This is about giving the public a choice and redressing the government and policy bias to those that financially benefit from privatisation.
- It opens up the debate about the public having a democratic say over water, Currently we are locked out of any decision-making and the future of water.
- This is not a petition to bring water into public ownership. There is already one of those, and we have presented the facts time and time again on public ownership (see People’s Commission on Water). It is calling for a debate that is based on fact not fiction.
Please share far and wide.
Press Release attached.
Tel: 07974777309
Dear friends
Many of you have asked about holding local screenings of Dirty Business as part of a campaigning event.
Working with the producers we are able to provide you with clips of Dirty Business to screen locally at an event. This is a fantastic opportunity to further galvanise your community and to hold your elected representatives to account – to have your views heard.
Please find attached the information you need and how to register for a local Campaign Group Screenings of DB (1).
Once you have registered, as soon as we have the clips we will get these to you (should be next week).
Have a lovely Easter weekend all
Prof Becky Malby
Ilkley Clean River Group
Tel: 07974777309
Bluesky: @cleanilkley.bsky.social
Sewage Campaign Network : Dirty Business, World Water Day, public info
HI all
Re 24th February MP Briefing (bang in the middle of Dirty Business going on air) – we are slowly getting MPs signed up. I thought you might like to see the email Kim sent to the welsh MPs for the 24th Feb MP Briefing and its worked – a really good turnout. I thought you might like to steal the approach with pride…. to encourage your MPs to come along 🙂
Dear Ben,
Please find below an invitation to a vital presentation that you should attend to demonstrate your commitment to real change for the future of our rivers, nature, biodiversity and indeed our children.
I will be there to welcome you and put it in any context for your once magnificent constituency rivers, including SAC Rivers.
Your constituency is currently listed as the worst in England and Wales for sewage CSO dumping; Wales has 5 constituencies in the top 10 worst.
With the coming elections in Wales, attending this session will demonstrate your and your party’s commitment to delivering real change for our rivers and citizens. Your role on the Welsh Affairs Select Committee brings this into even more focus.
Work in Westminster will enable the Welsh Government to fulfil its commitment to Wales Future Generations. Tinkering with the existing system, as proposed in the Welsh Green Paper, will just exacerbate Welsh rivers’ dire problems.
It’s time to stand up for our rivers. Are you and Plaid Cymru going to do it?
Invitation to MPs and Staff – Briefing on the Water White Paper, hosted by Alistair Carmichael MP, Anna Dixon MP, Clive Lewis MP.
24th February 17.15 – 18.15
Wilson Room, Portcullis House
The government has published its White Paper, A New Vision for Water, to address the crisis of water pollution and shortage, and provide a vision for the sector.
The People’s Commission on the Water Sector provided robust evidence on the solutions that could secure public value, drawing on both national and international expertise. Both EFRA and PAC have published reports relevant to this White Paper in preparation for the introduction of the Water Bill in 2026.
You are invited to attend an in-person briefing from industry experts to support your scrutiny of the White Paper and pose questions you may wish to raise during the passage of the Bill.
A short 15-minute presentation will cover:
- Who benefits and who pays. What this white paper means for the public and the environment.
- The role of the new regulator, and the impact of the White Paper in tackling the issues that you face in your constituencies.
- What is missing from the White Paper that needs government attention, and the questions MPs can ask, including lessons learnt from international examples.
- Key issues that need addressing in the Joint Transition Plan
Speakers:
- Professors Becky Malby BEM, Prof Frances Cleaver, Prof Kate Bayliss authors of Cleaner, Fairer, Cheaper – report from the People’s Commission.
- Ash Smith, The Sewage Campaign Network/ Windrush Against Sewage Pollution
- Feargal Sharkey, President of the Sewage Campaign Network
The presentation will be followed by a Q&A, bringing together grassroots campaigners, citizen scientists, and experts who have contributed to the People’s Commission’s work.
Please RSVP by responding to sarahb.clarke@parliament.uk, and kim@wru.org.uk
Prof Becky Malby
Tel: 07974777309
Bluesky: @cleanilkley.bsky.social
https://www.ilkleycleanriver.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/Ilkley-Clean-River-Group-431201944302819/
People’s Commission Updates prior to the Water White Paper
Dear friends
We hope you had a good festive break.
We have a couple of updates for you.
1. Water Reform White Paper & Bill
We understand this will be published this week/ next week with a relatively short timetable between the White Paper and the Bill. This is now a vital time to secure MP support for the People’s Commission Report and recommendations.
2. Cunliffe Independent Commission
Many of you submitted evidence to the Commission. We have tried through the Freedom Of Information Request Process, to secure publication of all the evidence. Some evidence in the report is provided as a link to the submitting organisations website. Much of the referencing is ‘Evidence submitted to the commission’ or ‘Engagement with the commission’ with no detail or way of scrutinising it. We have looked at the ‘Summary of Evidence’ which primarily provides a summary of the Commission’s survey, and surveys done by NGOs. There are key issues from the public which have not made it into the final report. A previous FOI uncovered the significant time spent by the Commission with Investors, Regulators and Water Companies. None of the investor evidence is publicly available. our FOI has been rejected on the basis that it would take Defra too long to find the evidence in its references and make that reference available. Clearly Defra did not catalogue or organise the submitted material. The logic to the report recommendations cannot therefore be verified or scrutinised. We have sent all of this to EFRA.
3. White Paper Action
We provided a briefing to MPs in December, chaired by Sir Alistair Carmichael, and co-hosted by Anna Dixon and Clive Lewis which was really appreciated by those that attended and we will be running another one in the next few weeks when we know the White Paper timetable.
The Sewage Campaign Network is running an MP Drop-In event on the 17th March. They are also asking campaign groups and anyone with a passion to secure change, to book a 1:1 with their MP on the same day. We will then all meet for a debrief in the afternoon. SCN will be providing materials for MPs.
IF YOU would like to be kept informed about this please let us know and we will pass your email address to SCN for updates.
Many thanks
Prof Becky Malby BEM,
Please can you ask your MP to attend.
Message from Professor Becky Malby:-
Your MPs will have received this email invitation from Alistair Carmichael MP (and Chair of EFRA), Anna Dixon MP and Clive Lewis MP.
Please can you ask your MP to attend.
RSVP to sarahb.clarke@parliament.uk
Invitation to MPs and Staff – Briefing in Preparation for the Water White Paper, hosted by Alistair Carmichael MP, Anna Dixon MP, Clive Lewis MP.
9th December 17.15 – 18.15
Room CR19 in the Palace of Westminster
Following the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 and the Cunliffe Review, it is expected the Government will publish a White Paper in the new year to address the crisis of water pollution and shortage, and provide a vision for the sector.
The People’s Commission on the Water Sector provided robust evidence on the solutions that could secure public value, drawing on both national and international expertise. Both EFRA and PAC have published reports relevant to this White Paper which the government is currently developing with the intention to introduce the Water Bill in 2026.
You are invited to attend an in person briefing from industry experts to support your scrutiny of the White Paper and pose questions you may wish to raise during the passage of the Bill.
A short 15 minute presentation will cover:
- Ensuring the water sector provides value to the public, clarifying the real costs and who should pay.
- Effective regulation and the role of the new single regulator.
- Municipalisation and public ownership of water – what works and how it delivers lower costs and better outcomes.
Speakers :
- Professors Becky Malby BEM, and Dr Kate Bayliss, authors of Cleaner, Fairer, Cheaper – report from the People’s Commission.
- Ash Smith, The Sewage Campaign Network/ Windrush Against Sewage Pollution
- Feargal Sharkey
The presentation will be followed by a Q&A, which will bring together grassroots campaigners, citizen scientists and experts who have contributed to the People’s Commission’s
Please RSVP to sarahb.clarke@parliament.uk
Prof Becky Malby
Ilkley Clean River Group
Tel: 07974777309
Bluesky: @cleanilkley.bsky.social
Latest message from the People’s Commission on the Water Sector
Hi all
We thought you might like to see our latest letter to Minister Hardy. It has also gone to EFRA and PAC.
Please see our blog for latest updates including our latest letter to Minister Hardy.
Prof Becky Malby BEM, Dr Kate Bayliss, Prof Frances Cleaver, Prof Ewan McGaughey
Professor Malby asks you to sign this petition
Dear friends
We are sharing this in case you want to sign it
When we went to parliament we were asked what we are doing next. We said we are handing our report to MPs for them to act. This is one of the actions.
Prof Becky Malby
Ilkley Clean River Group
Tel: 07974777309
Bluesky: @cleanilkley.bsky.social
Please share widely, on social media, by emails
Professor Becky Malby reports that The People’s Commission on the Water Sector full report is out today.
Please share widely, on social media, by emails.
We are seeing a water company onslaught in the press, with very little counter argument being invited in (radio 4 Today Programme this morning was a prime example)
The People’s Commission on the Water Sector reports today that:
The privatised water model has failed and a shift to public ownership is required for these reasons:
- All bill payers money is used for water services. We are not servicing eye watering debt of between 21-50% of bills. Surplus funds are reinvested.
- All the water sectors effort focuses on cleaning up our rivers lakes and seas, not servicing oversees financial interests. It is possible to collaborate to secure better solutions to our water crisis.
- Public trust is reinstated, and people can get involved in conserving and protecting water, playing our part in the safety of our water now and in the future.
- Regulators focus on people and the environment, with open and transparent data for public scrutiny, rather than chasing down private water companies with criminal investigations and trying to stop money leaking out into executives purses and shareholders bank accounts.
- Any debt needed is cheaper, as government can borrow at interest rates far lower than the 8-12% being charged by current ‘investors’.
- There will be no incentive to inflate costs or delay spending in order to accrue money for shareholders.
Transition to Public Ownership
When pollution, historic returns to shareholders and banks, all company debts, and outstanding repair costs are taken into account, the value (and hence the cost of compensation) is likely in the case of Thames to be close to zero because shareholders and banks have already been paid and will not deserve a further bail out with taxpayer or bill payer’s money (McGaughey 2025). Other companies will follow suit.
Even if there are some upfront costs with public ownership, these are likely to soon be recouped and must be set against the ongoing high costs of privatisation. The costs will be nowhere near the current purported cost of over £100bn which is serious scaremongering.
Investments
Without the burden of private sector debt, money from bill payers is liberated to use for the plans for the next 5 years. Any additional debt required will be small, and will be attractive to patient capital as the overall water sector will be stable and predictable, rather than in perpetual crisis.
In addition the report recommends:
- A Cross-Party Crisis Committee to develop a National Strategy for Water with a strategic advisory group of independent experts – (SAGE) for Water
- Getting on top of upstream pollution with those that pollute being responsible for cleaning up our waterways, on the Polluter Pays principle
Prof Becky Malby BEM, Dr Kate Bayliss, Prof Frances Cleaver, Prof Ewan McGaughey
