Call for demonstration by the group We Own It

Whose voices should be heard first when it comes to the essential services we all rely on? Your voices — the public’s voices — or those of the rich and the powerful?

If you’re reading this, you probably think the public should come first. That’s why you’ve joined the fight for public ownership.

But last week, we broke the news that the government is using research PAID FOR by privatised water firms to justify their policy of continued privatisation in England and Wales.

The report, commissioned by private water companies United Utilities, Anglian Water, Severn Trent and South West Water, has been widely debunked.

In fact, the leading academic initially in favour of privatisation, Prof. Dieter Helm called the research “economically illiterate.” Even the Financial Times has debunked it!

It’s important for services everywhere to debunk this myth. Taking back our public services, whether it is Scotland’s energy grid or Royal Mail, is always good value.

But with water, the case is even starker.

Top civil servants in the Treasury and UK Debt Management Office have called for Thames Water to come into public ownership at no cost to the public.

Earlier this week, another shareholder wrote their stake down to £0 — they think the company is quite literally worthless.

Not only would it cost nothing to nationalise, the powers involved (called Special Administration) could wipe off half or more of its debts too.

Given 28% of a Thames Water bill goes towards paying its debts, public ownership could be used to save households in London up to £90 a year.

Imagine if we took back ALL of England and Wales’ water firms so they are fully publicly owned like water in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

To make sure our new Labour Government has all the information, yesterday we reported in the Guardian that the UN expert on the human right to water believes it should be in public ownership — criticising the English model.

With such strong evidence supporting the move to public ownership, why has the government used this dodgy research?

At the end of Labour Conference, we responded in the Telegraph to news that Environment Secretary Steve Reed took a single ticket for exclusive hospitality worth £1700 from bosses linked to a polluting water company.

The REAL voices that need to be heard are YOU, bill payers and citizens worried about being ripped off while shareholders continue to pollute our rivers and seas.

82% of the public want public ownership.

And now, thanks to your arguments, the nation’s brilliant anti-sewage campaigners are joining the fight.

Last week, Save Windermere, Ilkley Clean River Group, Surfers Against Sewage, Windrush Against Sewage Pollution, SOS Whitstable,  River Action, and others came out in support of taking the licence off failing water firms.

That’s the first step towards public ownership.

Thanks to 6,000 of you inviting your MP to our drop in last month, we know what they’re thinking.

Backbench MPs don’t understand why public ownership has been prioritised for rail, buses, and Great British Energy, while water is in a privatisation crisis.

So right now, you’re really powerful. Campaigners are behind you. The public is behind you. And MPs are questioning continued privatisation.

Thank you for helping us build the movement for public ownership, in water and beyond.

Cat, Johnbosco, Matthew, and John — the We Own It team

P.S. We’ll be in touch more soon, but do mark the NEW date for the March for Clean Water on Sunday November 3rd in London and join us there if you can. Together, let’s make the demand for public ownership undeniable.

Demonstration Sunday 3 November, 11 am Albert Embankment, London