Forum Topic

Dirty Business

I am amazed at the lack of comment, not to say outrage, at the Channel 4 programme this week about the privatisation of our water industry. If you thought Mr. Bates was dreadful - then this reaches even lower lows! If Keir Starmer really wants to do something for all of us and perhaps help keep his job after the next General Election, then re-nationalisation of all our utilities would be a good way to go. Why we have allowed this to go on after Mrs. Thatcher's assurances we should 'wait and see' how it panned out  is a mystery. It became very clear, very quickly this was a licence to print money, and in the process do untold damage to our waterways, seaside, wildlife and ecological systems, not to mention make people very ill and in one case at least, cause the death of a child. As for the despicable people who helped cover it up they are beneath contempt, and have in some cases got themselves cushy little numbers with the very water companies they should have investigated, they must be made to answer for what they did. Thank God we have people with integrity and guts to Whistle-blow, and others who care to work on for years in the face of appalling obfuscation and lies.

Vanessa Smith ● 15d15 Comments

“Unfortunately the o/p has total amnesia of this period as I've witnessed on other anti Tory sentiment. “Oh yes! Vanessa Smith conveniently ignores the fact that when, as a Labour Cllr., her constituents asked her for assistance in confronting Thames Water for acts of mismanagement and negligence. Not only did she refuse to get involved, she wrote to  the Twickenham Times accusing residents of ‘running off half-cocked’ to battle something they could never win. And how wrong was she!!  Too terrified to have (Labour run) Hounslow Council confront Thames Water, she ran for cover leaving residents to fight Thames Water on their own. However, with the help of some ICG Cllrs the residents dragged Thames Water into the High Court of Justice and Thames were found guilty on 18 counts of mismanagement and negligence. So when big mouth Smith now finds the behaviour of Thames Water so outrageous she may wish to reflect upon her own conduct as a Labour Councillor when she could and should have joined residents in the Thames Water boardroom facing the CEO and management and holding them accountable. Not once did big mouth Smith attend a single meeting with Thames Water despite the fact that she knew they were pumping millions of litres of raw untreated sewage into the river on her doorstep. Thank God we have people with integrity and guts like the ICG and others who care to work on for years in the face of appalling obfuscation and lies. Thank God we no longer have to rely on Labour Cllrs like her.

Paul Tucker ● 1d

It has traditionally been the role of the Greens to ask difficult questions such has why our privatised water industry has seen such a large rise in bills coincide with a period of chronic under investment in infrastructure.However, now they are on the cusp of some sort of role in government they have to answer difficult questions such as how will you fund a nationalised water industry, bring the network up to standard and keep bills low at a time when government borrowing is severely restricted by the already high level of national debt?

Jeremy Parkinson ● 1d

The Greens offer a home for con artists who can draw stipends, be it from Councils or the House of Commons, for never having to take responsibility for anything because they will NEVER have any power. They are a joke with their ridiculous manifesto which they would never ever be able to accomplish. They elected a ridiculous ‘Leader’ who doesn’t even have a seat in parliament!!

Paul Tucker ● 3d

Seems par for the course with modern Greens. School playground politics with very little understanding of the real world. Polanski is just the left cheek of the Farage backside.Brentford’s mob seems to mainly comprise a geriatric boys club, led by Jon Elkon who is really a South African agitator. What’s amusing is how thin skinned they are when challenged on their fantasy policies (to be funded by a wealth tax, despite the very wealthy having been removing their money and themselves from the UK since July 2024). Aggressive and patronising is the default response, pretty standard for hard left socialists with all the answers.Abolishing private landlords is a key pledge. If you think finding somewhere to rent is hard and expensive now, wait until that happens.They will also stop you having a private vehicle, unless you are in the politburo like Guy Lambert. Not sure they understand how Uber ownership works then.All these grand plans have to be paid for, so inevitably it will be massive tax increases for the squeezed middle.

Simon Hayes ● 3d

Zak Polanski or whatebver his real name is comes across to me as a student who has yet to grow up and enter the real world.With apologies to students everywhere.

Keith Iddon ● 3d

The Green Party manifesto is an absolute hoot, albeit unintended.Labour’s 2024 manifesto was based on uncosted wishes, everything paid for out of closing non-dom loopholes and putting VAT on private school fees which turned out to mean punitive taxation on everyone and still not covering the costs. Of course, champagne socialist Lamvett was hugely enthusiastic about that at the time.The Greens not only want to nationalise everything (although Labour is doing the railways already) but have no inkling of the costs of doing so or say how things will be run. Remember British Rail? Butt of all jokes back in the day. Now we have a situation where the railways are so union dominated that drivers are paid ridiculous amounts in what is effectively a closed shop. It’s why trains are frequently cancelled at the last minute, while overtime is charged at £500 a shift. How’s that going to change?Luckily the Greens are planting a whole forest of magic money trees.

Simon Hayes ● 3d

It sounds so simple but I bet it isn't unfortunately.  However I would just love it if we didn't have to faff around spending precious time choosing energy companies just because it has to be competitive.  But then just look at what happened to the monopoly of water - it just makes you want to cry.  We definitely shouldn't have lost control of that and allowed it  to be sold overseas as one of Mrs Thatcher's experiments (see the programme).

Philippa Bond ● 3d

Well, I can help you resolve this scandal.From the 2024 Green Party manifesto:"We commit to immediately bringing the railways,the water companies and the Big 5 retailenergy companies back into public ownership".

Guy Lambert ● 6d

It is difficult to appreciate and comprehend the seriousness and depth of the situation without a programme like this - just as people couldn't really get their heads around and believe the Post Office issue. Sticking heads in the sand now that more information has come to light is reprehensible:https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2d769npejoYes, that's the BBC writing about this Channel 4 programme.

Philippa Bond ● 7d

Luckily those hard working councillors are getting more from your contributions.Be thankful they aren’t skimming as much off the top as their Ealing counterparts. Sneaky Pete Mason pockets £74,000 a year for doing nothing apart from fronting Facebook videos boasting about his very modest ‘achievements’.

Simon Hayes ● 7d

I’m more angry about my Council tax rising 5% each year and receiving less and less for that rise.

David Cook ● 8d

Good point Raymond. Unfortunately the o/p has total amnesia of this period as I've witnessed on other anti Tory sentiment. Unfortunately the dirty business is that she clogs up at least 2 forums with it.

Richard Schofield ● 8d

We have seen the fights that local people have had to get any action when they can see and smell that there is a problem.I remember the documentaries about Thames Water showing the problems the workers were having in keeping the aging and run down infrastructure going.  This of course can be made worse when if any building has to go to planning residents decide to object to anything happening - but then how does necessary infrastructure get tackled when it needs to be?  It is obviously easier not to tackle it and to just take the profits which go to distant owners which expect them as a result of their investment.  To then have a hierarchy that ignores and denies and covers up any problems and leaves the workers on site to try and deal with deteriorating and impossible situation is diabolical and demoralising.Please don't be lily-livered and turn a blind eye but make a point to watch this programme.  The situation needs facing up to and improving and not putting off because it is too difficult:If you copy and paste this link to read the real story behind this programme you will find a direct link to the programme.https://www.sas.org.uk/updates/dirty-business-real-people-sewage-drama/

Philippa Bond ● 8d

Sadly this was more than apparent and reported in newspapers and to a lesser degree on TV even when the Blair Govt was in power.Action should have happened then and I think that had the Gulf War and other overseas sideshows not distracted Blair, this would have been tackled.It's rumbled on since and now is a real disgrace . OFWAT like most of these organisations are inept and weak and suffer the wrong people on boards and chairing. To easily influenced by politicians on one side and big business on the other.

Raymond Havelock ● 14d

Quite right. If someone hungry shoplifts £50 that's a terrible crime, but looting millions from water consumers (everyone) because someone gave you a monopoly on the cheap is just 'boys will be boys, and do invite me onto your yacht'.

Eric Baker ● 14d