Many people have woken up to the privatisation scam
The first and last question at the WASP talk at Burford, Oxfordshire on Friday was:
'Hands up if you think privatisation of water should end.'
Note to Sir John Cunliffe and his Water Commission - you are letting the people of England and Wales down by agreeing to the government's Orwellian instructions to ignore the only thing that will end the scam - ditching privatisation.
After all - It is all about the money.
Pause here to differentiate between the company staff trying to do their best, and the owners, creditors and senior execs focused on taking out as much of your money as they can get away with.
As the public gets to know the truth behind the spin and downright lies from the water industry, regulators and even - (how did this become acceptable?), Government Ministers, people are asking;
What can we DO?
People are getting cross. Not in a 'we are going to glue ourselves to a river' kind of way; in fact, many poor rivers are far more likely to stick themselves to us when they are being used as toilets by our 'couldn't care less as long as the money keeps flowing' water company owners.
No - this is something more considered, rational and above all, on the side of what is right and legal - the direct opposite of how privatised water has been operating for many years.
Delivering the material, Prof Peter Hammond referenced some of the extraordinary work from the core team in the WASP nest and how it has shaped current thinking, nationally, moving away from the water company and regulators' rosy illusions that were being fed to us in 2018, to the brutal uncompromising truth that is so well known today.
Ash Smith (writing this) set out the story that included the route that led us to the impending Appeal Court hearing and our attempt to get the company into Special Administration, where it can be properly reformed without wasting almost £1billion of customers' money on lawyers, advisors and extortionate interest payments - in 6 months!
The short and punchy description of Thames Water came from a document submitted to the High Court in a valuation conducted for the company itself:
Even now, if campaigners said this, we would be accused of exaggeration, but here it is from the independent consultant FOR the company.
Post-privatization, Thames Water focused on shareholder returns and managed its operations in a way that delayed long-term infrastructure investment. The Company deferred necessary maintenance, which led to aging pipelines, higher leakages, and less efficient systems.
Here is the report - Page 91 if you want to check https://d2x23m05zp633u.cloudfront.net/Kroll_Valuation_Report_307a0ffba7.pdf
Failure by Environment Secretary, Steve Reed and regulator Ofwat has left Thames Watercustomers funding a massive gambling machine for hedge fuds and creditors withe the senior execs poised to rake in the bonuses.
So trouble is brewing and this is what any government should expect when the people who wre elected to protect us and our country, have decided instead to protect the people who are;
a) Blatantly and shamelessly ripping us all off.
b) Polluting our waters - often illegally.
And mostly not even based in the UK.
It is not good enough to launch an 'independent' Water Commission and then forbid its independent Chair from looking at the most important aspect - the difference between public and private ownership.
It is not good enough for its Chairman, Sir John Cunliffe to accept that ridiculous restriction and become part of this sham inquiry. It is like asking a doctor to advise on a sick patient but not to consider the cancer they are so obviously suffering from.
And we should not roll over either and we encourage people to think for themselves on how to challenge this but here are some tried and testeds.,,
1, Write to your MP, Ministers, Councillors and let them know if you are happy or not with what they are doing - if anything.
Many MPs promised to deal with this issue - are they living up to that in the way our MP is?
WASP's and Witney's MP, Charlie Maynard is represented us and the public interest at the High Court and is going to the Court of Appeal - what is your MP doing? Are they just following government orders as happened under the last administration? There is no longer any doubt where that led us.
We are not telling you what to think or write - but we will tell you the truth and we will tell you who to write to if you want to make your voice heard or ask the hard questions.
Key contacts:
Sir Keir Stamer PM
10 Downing Street London
SW1A 2AA
Rachel Reeves, MP - Chancellor of the Exchequor
Parliamentary office
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Email Address: rachel.reeves.mp@parliament.uk
Add to your subject line - 'For Chancellor'
Steve Reed. MP Environment Secretary
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Email Address: steve.reed.mp@parliament.uk
Add to your subject line - Secretary of State (or abbreviate appropriately to SoS) Environment
YOUR MP -just look them up on the internet and remeber to add your address in their constituency if you want a reply.
Write to The Water Commission.
Yes, the Independent (so independent (it is not allowed to look into public ownership) Water Commission.
You don't need to do anything but say exactly what you think and you want - You don't have to be as fettered as the commssion has agreed to be - just tell it like it is.
WASP's email is info@windrushwasp.org if you want to blind copy or open copy us in to messages and responses.
Not Paying some of your bill. Many people ask about this so here are the links to a variety of groups who can advise on the subject. You have to make your own judgments about ths.
https://boycottthameswater.org/about-us/
https://www.boycottwaterbills.com/
https://extinctionrebellion.uk/act-now/campaigns/dont-pay-for-dirty-water/
Physical protest -
Petitions
Here is a good one specifically about taking Thames Water into public ownership. Sign and share, and share again.
Physical Demonstration of support.
There will be a demo OUTSIDE the appeal court in London probably on 11 March, organised by https://weownit.org.uk/about-us who have already done three such events with us at the court, always colourful, lively, interesting, peaceful and legal.
WASP will be in the court and outside for this momentous event and you may want to join us - keep watching the WeOwn It website and we will also update on the times and places.
Thanks for your support.
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