Those beaches were improved because of EU law, sadly now many are full of sewage again.This is the oldest and laziest theme in public services policy. Nobody has ever answered this question: what was the alternative to privatisation given that by 1970 our water infrastructure was disastrous?
Since then £160 billion has been invested, 65% of beaches are rated excellent by EU standards up from 25%, leaks are down by 35%, water quality has improved greatly, dead rivers have been revived.
How would you have found £160 billion?
Ideally, it should be state owned but, when it was, it was neglected for 100 years.
Dead rivers revived? The river wye is dead on its ass and our beaches are on the decline due to lazy profit taking. Although the Wye is partly due to mass chicken production and waste products leaking into the system . We’ve had a leak near us for over six years and every winter it’s like a skid pan and although it has been reported and the local press involved nothing has been done . All these water companies are owned by pension funds and the focus on protecting their shareholders not their customersThis is the oldest and laziest theme in public services policy. Nobody has ever answered this question: what was the alternative to privatisation given that by 1970 our water infrastructure was disastrous?
Since then £160 billion has been invested, 65% of beaches are rated excellent by EU standards up from 25%, leaks are down by 35%, water quality has improved greatly, dead rivers have been revived.
How would you have found £160 billion?
Ideally, it should be state owned but, when it was, it was neglected for 100 years.
I’m not sure I completely agree with that. Some industries are better for the consumer in private hands. Ones where innovation and genuine competition are key. Telecommunications spring to mind.Those beaches were improved because of EU law, sadly now many are full of sewage again.
Privatisation has not led to improvements in any sector just money going out of the public purse into sharehlder banks while we still subsidise the fucking things anyway
70% are foreign owned. Mainly banks and equity funds. USA, UAE, Australia.Dead rivers revived? The river wye is dead on its ass and our beaches are on the decline due to lazy profit taking. Although the Wye is partly due to mass chicken production and waste products leaking into the system . We’ve had a leak near us for over six years and every winter it’s like a skid pan and although it has been reported and the local press involved nothing has been done . All these water companies are owned by pension funds and the focus on protecting their shareholders not their customers
The telecommunications industry is not true competition really as openreach have to maintain the network while other companies make profits in the urban area neglecting many rural areas that still haven’t got fibre to the cabinetI’m not sure I completely agree with that. Some industries are better for the consumer in private hands. Ones where innovation and genuine competition are key. Telecommunications spring to mind.
I do think, however, that utilities, the prison service and the railway network should all be wholly state owned.
Yeah, I’m not saying it’s perfect, far from it, but I still don’t think there would be an overall benefit to it being in state hands.The telecommunications industry is not true competition really as openreach have to maintain the network while other companies make profits in the urban area neglecting many rural areas that still haven’t got fibre to the cabinet
If privatisation is such a panacea why have the Armed Forces not been privatised?This is the oldest and laziest theme in public services policy. Nobody has ever answered this question:
I didn’t say privatisation was a panacea. In fact I don’t believe that, but the fact remains that those calling for nationalisation never say where the money will come from. Govs of all hues have neglected publicly owned services since the year dot because they know that the increase in taxation that would be needed will lose them votes.If privatisation is such a panacea why have the Armed Forces not been privatised?
I’m going to start collecting it in bucketsEven though we all have to,I've never agreed about the price of water bills in this country,particulary as we getting loads of it for free coming from the skies ffs 10 months of the year