Tory outrage at the RSPB calling them the liars that they are seems to have moved the issue from Twitter to the mainstream. And also prompted people to look at the RSPB trustee who urgently raised the inappropriateness of the RSPB tweet with the board. And guess what, it turns out that Dr Ben Caldecote is a Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange, that well known "charity" from Tufton Street. A bit like Tufton Street trying to get their shills onto the board of the National Trust. ****s.
The only way the Snories could make this worse is by swimming in the rivers themselves and doubling the amount of sh1t in there.
Watched a little Panorama last night. Clear to see that the current system is not fit for purpose (I hate that phrase). The EA are at best toothless and at worst, complicit in the water companies putting profit before obligation. There seems to be plenty of outrage about this topic, yet nothing seems to be improving.
It's very simple. Increase the fines to amounts that affect the profitability of the companies. And cap the fees they can charge. If they fail to act on discharges etc, fine them to the point they are loss making entities of little value, then nationalise them.
The regulatory regime appears to be quite permissive and the water companies seem to be able to largely self-report. Government has not made water quality a priority and has often accepted the water companies’ contention that they have no option with the current infrastructure. They have then literally and metaphorically taken the p!ss. Without a will to fix it or hit the shareholders, the regulators (for there are more than one) end up in a position where they have to try to work with and improve a provider whose response to tough regulation may simply be to fail. It’s the classic situation where privatisation does not work, because it’s not a real market. It’s just a money siphon.
Yet if you asked a million people who pay their water bills whether they thought it was acceptable that the recipients of their money dump their turds straight into the local river, I bet 999,999 would agree that they do not. Yet we're more worried about people coming over on boats, most of whom are soon sent back.
It's because the sewage thing is a popular cause rather than populist cause. It nearly bridged that gap a few months ago but then dropped off of the radar again. Presumably because the charlatans who tend to whip up the most successful populist campaigns don't have a solution in mind for this one?
A quick question. If a significant number of householders refused to pay any increase in their water charges, and only paid an amount in line with the previous year - who would prosecute them?
Or get an itemised bill and only pay for incoming water and not the waste water treatment component. Ultimately, they can take you to court, but they cannot disconnect you.
Privatising the utilities - and water particularly - has been a disaster. Even the most pro-capitalism Tories can see that. So why isn't renationalising on the political agenda?
Quick and amusing explainer about where we are with the water companies. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5z5e_wMdO7/?igsh=MTBtbHAzZzRhZjMxMQ==
Sometimes I wish we were just a little bit more like the French. Do you think that for one second they would stand for a 59% (over 5 years) increase in their water charges? (with a substandard service being provided) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2lgl9kypno
Over 70% of England's water companies are owned by foreign shareholders. (Hello to our friends Macquarie Group!) While sections of the public were riled up to resent foreign people coming over here, they were significantly distracted not to notice the great buy-up of our public services and other assets by overseas corporations.
