Water companies ‘sorry’ but will public pay for sewage leaks?

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  • čas přidán 17. 05. 2023
  • If the apology from the private water monopolies was intended to waft away the stink surrounding the issue of sewage in rivers and coastal areas, it doesn't seem to have worked.
    (Subscribe: bit.ly/C4_News_Subscribe)
    An average of 824 discharges per day requires rather a fatberg of an apology.
    The fact that their trade body Water UK has said that they are ready to spend £10bn tackling spills also drew criticism from campaign groups and the opposition. That's because households in England are going to pay for improvements via higher water bills.
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Komentáře • 1K

  • @a.hoctavius5848
    @a.hoctavius5848 Před rokem +447

    Sorry?! What good is an empty apology. I want these corrupt men and women fined and jailed

    • @parametr
      @parametr Před rokem +23

      I hear you, I understand you didn't like me kicking you in the nuts every day for years, I'm sorry.
      All good, right?

    • @sodium7127
      @sodium7127 Před rokem +12

      ​​@@parametr
      It's all good.
      It's not like you're going to resume kicking me a minute later... oh wait

    • @user-hc1vv3yj2q
      @user-hc1vv3yj2q Před rokem +19

      Fines do not work , freeze their assets sell the company and jail the CEO that's the only way such things wont happen. We need harsher punishments for this kind of damage done to the enviorment and people's lives.

    • @johnwade1095
      @johnwade1095 Před rokem +4

      That's the government. They imported 10m people, and expect you to pick up the tab for the infrastructure expansion required.

    • @rvfharrier
      @rvfharrier Před rokem +3

      Then make sure you and everyone else stops voting for the party that protects them and allows them to do this.

  • @parametr
    @parametr Před rokem +426

    Tories sold public water companies for 7.6 billion, and then gave them 6.5 billion
    Water price has risen 40% more than inflation since then
    Water companies give their owners about 2 billion every year in dividens
    When water companies pour sewage into our sea, Tories fine them about 32 million per year
    Pretty good business, isn't it?
    Privatise something everybody needs, hike prices, neglect maintenance, "donate" some money to your friends: rake it in

    • @madwisdom4929
      @madwisdom4929 Před rokem +16

      BT Pension Scheme (of British Telecom plc) has bought stakes in Thames Water in 2012, while Canadian pension funds CDPQ (Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, which manages public pension funds in Québec) and CPPIB (Canada Pension Plan Investment Board) have acquired England’s South East Water and Anglian Water, respectively, as reported by Reuters this year.
      Sovereign Wealth Investment Funds Jumping into Water
      In January 2012, China Investment Corporation has bought 8.68% stakes in Thames Water, the largest water utility in England, which serves parts of the Greater London area, Thames Valley, and Surrey, among other areas.
      In November 2012, One of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), also purchased 9.9% stake in Thames Water.

    • @TheStressD
      @TheStressD Před rokem

      This country has turned into dump, I've never really understood how people could sit there and sell out their country for chump change

    • @PhukYougoogle-vx2qm
      @PhukYougoogle-vx2qm Před rokem

      Mad w, if that’s the case with these countries then the turds belong to them so we can ship all the turds to them then 👍🏻

    • @Bungal0wBen
      @Bungal0wBen Před rokem +34

      That's the UK in a nutshell, drain the tax pot dry, then claim more is needed

    • @scritoph3368
      @scritoph3368 Před rokem

      Conservatives? Destroying public services so they can privatise them and then get a cut of the profits? No fuckin way

  • @pauld.b7129
    @pauld.b7129 Před rokem +522

    Interesting to learn that the UK has privatized water companies. Seems like a conflict of interest to have a company control a resource people literally need to live.

    • @WhichDoctor1
      @WhichDoctor1 Před rokem

      That’s the point. They were created because when these things were nationally owned no shareholders were getting rich off them. That was unacceptable to neoliberals. They had to be privatised in order to make the rich considerably richer off the backs of people who had no choice about being swindled

    • @tuvaaq
      @tuvaaq Před rokem

      Aye, another shambolic mistake of the 80's Thatcher government just like the privatisation of the rail and mail network in the UK.

    • @mikw8597
      @mikw8597 Před rokem +22

      It's not privatisation that causes conflict of interest. It's the receiving of "payment" for favours that creates the conflict of interest. It is the corruption of the political establishment that is the more serious problem

    • @kurtgodel5236
      @kurtgodel5236 Před rokem

      You socialists think that clean drinking water and affordable cheese sandwiches are a human right. They are not! Ask Ann Widdecombeor and Jacob Rees-Mogg if you are daft enough to think otherwise. They will explain it to you.

    • @yegmeshjwp
      @yegmeshjwp Před rokem

      Wouldn't surprise me if they also received government subsidies as well. Classic move of the corrupt.

  • @a.hoctavius5848
    @a.hoctavius5848 Před rokem +294

    Why is water privatized ? That is a crime against humanity

    • @DownUndaWhereTheresThunda
      @DownUndaWhereTheresThunda Před rokem

      Uk in a nutshell, privatised the railways, disaster. Privatised water, disaster. Soon the nhs. Clusterfuckery

    • @johnnyc5765
      @johnnyc5765 Před rokem +10

      For profits?

    • @parametr
      @parametr Před rokem +51

      Because Tories, because Margaret Thatcher

    • @inkman6964
      @inkman6964 Před rokem

      You don’t have to pay for the cleaned sewage they pump through the taps as they can’t cut you off for not paying

    • @johnnyc5765
      @johnnyc5765 Před rokem +3

      @@inkman6964 but they can cut off your water supply? Meaning you can't flush the toilet?

  • @SlayerEddyTV
    @SlayerEddyTV Před rokem +116

    These water company boses should be in prison and the companies paying for it out of their profits and shareholders.

    • @Mr.Edd3905
      @Mr.Edd3905 Před rokem +9

      Agree. Prison prison prison.

    • @jamesgravil9162
      @jamesgravil9162 Před rokem +3

      Or on a guillotine. The French had the right idea.

    • @kamilpotato3764
      @kamilpotato3764 Před rokem

      @@jamesgravil9162 French had a genius idea. Unlike UK thanks to revolution most of their parasitic nobility got shorter by head. It made space for people to be appreciated on merit not title being born with. And gave rise to greatest Statesman of Europe. Napoleon.

  • @gr0wler147
    @gr0wler147 Před rokem +85

    They are utterly contempt. How dare they try and pass on the cost to the public while putting shareholders and themselves first. And a sorry?

    • @spodface12
      @spodface12 Před rokem

      but all the clean up is mostly for wet wipes and toiletries and condoms etc that have been flushed down the loo by jo public.... just saying. liquid sewage disintegrates rather quickly and doesn't cause half the pollution that those items do.

    • @tomd7841
      @tomd7841 Před rokem +5

      @@spodface12 and the public have been paying billions per year in excess of what it cost to run the company, which should have been spent running the company and maintaining the infrastructure.

  • @leokloid1
    @leokloid1 Před rokem +123

    Good example that cooperate greed doesn’t give a f about nature, you, me or anyone else apart their shareholders and executive bonuses. By charging the public to fix the problem they are essentially asking us all to subsidise the profit margins. Utter disgrace. I need a walk…

    • @ysr789
      @ysr789 Před rokem +4

      Why the water department was even privatised this is not something to make money on. People should be on street for this , or I guess they are ok paying higher bills

    • @Sputnikcosmonot
      @Sputnikcosmonot Před rokem

      it is nothing less than class warfare. And we the masses aren't winning.

  • @alijohn1405
    @alijohn1405 Před rokem +22

    An apology? A fucking APOLOGY?! these people should be locked up. I cant wrap my head around this.

  • @HAL9000.
    @HAL9000. Před rokem +54

    If we decided to not pay sewage charges, defecate in a bucket and dumped it a river, we'd be fined. And rightly so. How can they do it legally and then charge the consumer for their mistakes? It's beyond disgusting.

    • @dhdowlad
      @dhdowlad Před rokem

      They have money to bribe the politicains and you don't.. That is the difference..

    • @raymondhill8973
      @raymondhill8973 Před rokem +3

      thats what we used to do only 300 yrs ago🤣

    • @KentPatriot
      @KentPatriot Před 3 měsíci

      ​@@raymondhill8973I heard people just launched it out of the window pre-Victorian times
      🤷🏻‍♂️🤮💩

  • @snoozfest2000
    @snoozfest2000 Před rokem +41

    Profits are private and losses are public. Sounds like a pretty good deal.

  • @bruce.of.Britain
    @bruce.of.Britain Před rokem +96

    It's unacceptable that the tax payer has more to pay. The water companies have had 35 years and cannot keep blaming Victorian infrastructure. The company bosses should be jailed. The companies should be forced to give this back into national ownership.

    • @williammarchant2920
      @williammarchant2920 Před rokem

      Nonsense. Our water is far too cheap and has been ever since it was privatised. In France water cost three times as much.

    • @bruce.of.Britain
      @bruce.of.Britain Před rokem +11

      @@williammarchant2920 Total rubbish. France is not a comparable model. The size of the country, the distance, remoteness of communities coupled with significantly less rainfall per capita. Fine - long term our bills should go up. The point is that £73 Billion has been raped from this industry to benefit fat-cat investors and almost nothing has been invested in maintaining or improving the infrastructure. Even this morning I heard 'Victorian Systems'. No this is no longer an excuse not after nearly 50 years of ownership. These companies are guilty under law and by the terms of their licence and the people responsible should be in jail now. Not when we give them time to sort things out, 'at our cost' when in fact all they will do do is continue to fail and whilst rinsing the last bit of money they can from the gravy train before it runs out.

    • @brennuvargr4638
      @brennuvargr4638 Před rokem +9

      ​@@williammarchant2920 Imagine complaining that something is "far too cheap".
      We see you, Tory. We see you.

    • @danielbradshaw1724
      @danielbradshaw1724 Před rokem +5

      ​​@@williammarchant2920 do you work for the tories lol

    • @bruce.of.Britain
      @bruce.of.Britain Před rokem +1

      @Brennuvargr WTF - you are the one saying its too cheap not me. How does wanting to re-nationalise water make me a tory????

  • @btccoins5514
    @btccoins5514 Před rokem +113

    this is what happens when you privatize EVERYTHING

    • @johnwade1095
      @johnwade1095 Před rokem +1

      This is what happens when you open the borders. Those extra 10m poo too.

    • @laurencefox5884
      @laurencefox5884 Před rokem

      @@johnwade1095 Silly little racist c*nt. Jog on brownshirt.

    • @chello70
      @chello70 Před rokem +4

      No...This is what happens when you get Brexit Done !!!!!😂

    • @johnwade1095
      @johnwade1095 Před rokem +3

      @@chello70 Done really badly. I don't know if this is incompetence or sabotage, but think the latter.

    • @btccoins5514
      @btccoins5514 Před rokem

      @@johnwade1095 , what does the borders have to anything? You thinking so mess up that it makes no sense. The reason the water company is dumping sewage to ocean is solely b/c it is CHEAPER, so that they could give their share holder billions of dollars, talk about STUPID, the corporations are scamming people and you worry about border?

  • @thesixth2330
    @thesixth2330 Před rokem +53

    Listen to these politicians defending there buddies!!!! Make those companies pay from shareholder profits, not customer increases.

    • @williammckee6165
      @williammckee6165 Před rokem +1

      of course they defend them they get a nice big slice of the pie

  • @doubleknocker5221
    @doubleknocker5221 Před rokem +29

    Hang on a mo - so they gave 72 billion in dividends, pay the chairman of these monopolies millions in salaries and bonuses (for what?) - then he says, it can't be back in public hands because there isn't enough money to run it - what a load of pish! - all that profit could be reinvested directly back into the country instead of going into off-shore accounts. It's criminal this is allowed at all.

    • @ThePTRichie
      @ThePTRichie Před rokem +4

      What are you guys complaining about, they said they were sorry. Lol.

    • @williammckee6165
      @williammckee6165 Před rokem +1

      if it ends up back in public hands our politicians will lose their backhanders, little brown envelope or slice of the pie possibly all three

  • @strangeke7750
    @strangeke7750 Před rokem +21

    I’m so fing tired of these people getting away with murder ffs. Wtf is going on in this country that this wasn’t stopped as soon as the problem emerged. Wtf

  • @huwzebediahthomas9193
    @huwzebediahthomas9193 Před rokem +39

    What a cheek!
    They've got the money, and they want more from us??? Unbelievable.

  • @chipko
    @chipko Před rokem +38

    The water companies acted criminally, they have broken laws. They should pay

    • @LordOfLight
      @LordOfLight Před rokem

      What law?

    • @chipko
      @chipko Před rokem +1

      @@LordOfLight environmental protection. Negligence....

    • @LordOfLight
      @LordOfLight Před rokem

      @@chipko You don't know do you. You haven't a clue. You just wrote down the first words that came into your head.

    • @jnorth9431
      @jnorth9431 Před rokem

      Instead we pay 😂

  • @ManSubhu
    @ManSubhu Před rokem +50

    You can't call it a "leak" if the sewage was deliberatly dumped. "Yeah, there was a petrol leak through your letterbox, I appologise for that, and for the accidental dropping of the lit match though your letterbox, that was a regrettable oversight and we are internally investigating how that happened".

    • @lal2300
      @lal2300 Před rokem +3

      Think they mean the story was leaked and they got caught out 🤨!

    • @RickyT15
      @RickyT15 Před rokem

      lit match wouldn't do much. This was tested on mythbusters where they dropped lit matches into a bucket of petrol and it just extinguished on contact. It would have to be a continous flame touching it for a period of time to catch.

    • @bobstiff
      @bobstiff Před rokem

      @@RickyT15 You have obviously never worked with petrol! It's diesel that can extinguish a match, not petrol.

    • @RickyT15
      @RickyT15 Před rokem

      @Bob Stiff So it didn't happen on mythbuster is what your saying when it clearly did get tested. So I should trust your word over it being demonstrated.

    • @garnhamr
      @garnhamr Před rokem

      @@RickyT15 can you put a bucket of petrol in the middle of your living room, drop a lit match into it and film it for youtube please?

  • @MrWaheedulHaque
    @MrWaheedulHaque Před rokem +29

    Water and energy companies need to be brought back to public ownership too much corruption in the UK atm by these private companies and bad politicians

  • @Levitator07
    @Levitator07 Před rokem +104

    Unreal. Water bills rise for the customers in England, to fix the infrastructure of the companies that dump sewage into your waters, while the companies rake in massive profits. Glad I live in Scotland.

    • @aliencactus720
      @aliencactus720 Před rokem +7

      There is also the same situation in Scotland. UK water infrastructure has not been upgraded much for 30 or 40 years, that is the problem. Also that the people running the companies prefer investing in their Maldives holiday homes and private education.

    • @Levitator07
      @Levitator07 Před rokem +6

      @@aliencactus720 no it's not the same situation at all. Scottish Water is a public company answerable to the Scottish government, not privatised companies only interested in profit. There is no sewage being dumped into our waters.

    • @recall2880
      @recall2880 Před rokem +2

      Then ring them and tell them you aren’t going to pay it

    • @HDSPKSRecords-gi1ob
      @HDSPKSRecords-gi1ob Před rokem +3

      @@Levitator07 "Answerable to the Scottish government" - i.e. ringfenced by corruption, at least while the SNP are in power.

    • @Levitator07
      @Levitator07 Před rokem

      @@HDSPKSRecords-gi1ob as opposed to the complete lack of corruption in the English political system? Do you people understand the difference between publicly owned and privately owned companies? 🤦🏻
      Anyway, enjoy swimming in your sewers

  • @JamieP43
    @JamieP43 Před rokem +16

    The interview was so evasive, they had two completely different conversations. MP's have a remarkable ability to talk incessantly without actually saying anything at all.

    • @emotown1
      @emotown1 Před rokem

      I think his face spoke volumes when the word nationalised was mentioned.

  • @nickd.6365
    @nickd.6365 Před rokem +78

    Very simply the water companies should rightly finance the investment. The companies concerned should also refund customers' sewerage charges in the same way the mis-sold PPI charges by banks were legally refunded.... The companies' arguments against such measures is that they would no longer be economically viable. If that were the case, then it would make sense to bring them under Government ownership.

    • @tuvaaq
      @tuvaaq Před rokem +6

      They've been financing what little investment they do via corporate loans (because borrowing money was so cheap) and throwing all the profits back to investors as dividends to keep share prices high. To bring them back into public ownership in the short term means we would not only have to compensate investors at an overinflated rate but take on the corporate debt. We need to legislate instead so public utility providers dividends are capped, Community Interest Companies by law, for example, cannot payout more than 35% of profits to investors!

    • @nickd.6365
      @nickd.6365 Před rokem +5

      @@tuvaaq Good response - agree. Though by justifiably fining the companies in a punitive way compensating their impact,damage would surely reduce the value of them, prevent an overinflated value and therefore reduce the cost of re-nationalising?

    • @nyakwarObat
      @nyakwarObat Před rokem

      Hear hear!

    • @TheStressD
      @TheStressD Před rokem

      This is what Corbyn wanted to do but everybody lapped up the smear campaign. He was for the people and could have made some real change. The powers that be were afraid that he would mess up their money, so they had to ruin he's name. He would have brought that heat and would have brought everything back under government control. Such a shame.

    • @trealin4730
      @trealin4730 Před rokem

      Haha this isn’t Disney. It’s real life

  • @mercedesvan-doors34
    @mercedesvan-doors34 Před rokem +11

    Several years ago the company I worked for had a heating oil leak into a storm drain. It wasn't a great deal but we had emergency arrangements in place and quickly set them to work. A specialist firm assisted, tracked the water/oil to the nearby river and set oil booms etc out and we caugh most of it. The environment officer took samples and then read me my rights as we were polluting the river. The irony was the outrun point was beside the local sewage works and you could see the untreated filth running past us as he did it. There was actual toilet paper sticking in the weeds in the outfall from it and when I asked what he was going to do about that and he simply said said "nothing, they have permission". In the end they reconed less than a pint of oil made it to the river and we weren't prosicuted but I remember clearly the muck flowing freely into the river.

  • @inkman6964
    @inkman6964 Před rokem +9

    They should be massively fined and CEO’s jailed

  • @byteme9718
    @byteme9718 Před rokem +19

    The only solution is to make bosses personally liable so they can be jailed and fined unlimited amounts.

    • @benalexander2104
      @benalexander2104 Před rokem

      Better turn back the clock to the early 20th century with the invention of the LLP 😌

  • @ECECECECEC
    @ECECECECEC Před rokem +22

    We’ve already had the price increase to pay for this and they gave the money to shareholders. Time for those shareholders to put the money back in. Legislate these criminals out of business and buy each company for £1. The Tory mp who claimed he swam in sewage as a child can put his mouth were the sewage is. Is this another brexit benefit? The argument that nationalising water companies would need government funding is spurious, they’re profitable, nationalisation would divert the profits from shareholders to spending on infrastructure. This is what we were promised when they were privatised.

    • @AidanHaddonWright
      @AidanHaddonWright Před rokem

      I think the problem goes much deeper than just the water companies. The first problem that needs solving is the waste of taxpayer money on literally everything.
      Like Philip said, nationalising the water companies is going to divert funds away from other public services and we'll end up paying for it but with increasing taxes instead.
      The best thing we can do is to democratise the water companies by forcing them to sell shares to the public. Southwest water do this every once in a while and I've been meaning to buy shares but I always miss my opportunity.
      And once we've done that to water companies, we'll move on to power and internet companies, yeah?
      I don't think this will actually catch on though since it's a socialist solution and many people still see socialism as bad (even though it's the same ideals that the NHS was founded on)

    • @ECECECECEC
      @ECECECECEC Před rokem +1

      Utter nonsense. Btw nationalisation won’t cost a penny. The water companies have broken the law. Legislation, if not already in place, requiring them to spend the £75bn, they’ve given away to shareholders, to build the necessary infrastructure that they should already have built. Privatisation was supposed to solve this problem, bills went up to pay for it and water companies have indebted themselves and sent billions in profits to their shareholders. Your idea is for the poor public to buy shares? Even if they did they would never defeat the existing shareholders in a vote and it would be a very unwise investment because when the tories don’t fix this, labour will. Regulate them out of business, prison sentences for board members who pollute and the problem will be solved. Rather than profits going to shareholders they will be invested to solve the problem. Interesting that Damian Green who has received ‘donations’ from at least one water company thinks swimming in sewage was fine when he was a child. The bill payer bailing out these companies and their greedy shareholders is socialism and that seems fine with this Tory, bought and paid for, government.

    • @AidanHaddonWright
      @AidanHaddonWright Před rokem

      ​@@ECECECECEC Please understand that I'm on the same side as you. Yes I believe the shareholders should be paying for this. Yes, I do think a nationalised system would be better. I just don't think those goals are realistic with the way everything is going right now.
      We need solutions that align with our current capitalist system, quick to implement and benefit everyday people like you and me. Whether we like it or not, the shareholders haven't actually committed a crime and are under no obligation to give their money back, other than morality. Did it really sound to you like the government are actually going to do anything that benefits us?
      I'm not doing that well myself but I'm willing to invest in a company if it gives me a say over how it's operated. We 'the poor public' spent £22Bn last year on fast food alone. That's 25% of the ENTIRE water industry we could've bought if all we did was collectively decide to make better food choices.
      I don't care if you disagree with me but "hey fam you have to like, give that money back, init" Just isn't good enough

    • @raymondhill8973
      @raymondhill8973 Před rokem

      that's how the French keep there bills down the profits from nationalised companies goes back to the population.. and we help as edf is a national french company...

  • @Rickwardful
    @Rickwardful Před rokem +7

    It is an absolute disgrace that the water companies can say “sorry” and get away with it, yet John Price says “sorry” for clearing the River Lugg to stop houses from flooding, yet ends up in Prison!
    Sometimes I’m ashamed to be a member of the population of this Country.
    Where were the EA while this sewage is being dumped into rivers?

  • @9hawklord
    @9hawklord Před rokem +17

    But not sorry for paying £70b in dividends. Its not profit it is money that is needed for infrastructure.

    • @kurtgodel5236
      @kurtgodel5236 Před rokem

      You have got Brexit, you don't need any infrastructure anymore.

  • @thomaskilburn8452
    @thomaskilburn8452 Před rokem +17

    This kind of thing needs to stop. It's outta control.

  • @thebunit6492
    @thebunit6492 Před rokem +78

    Question to MP - 'Do you think its fair the taxpayer foots the bill?'. Answer from MP - 'I'm standing infront of the River Thames...'.
    He's more slippery than the turds floating past behind him.

    • @dutch6947
      @dutch6947 Před rokem +8

      Poor journalism allowing him to get away with that as an answer.

    • @BlokeOnAMotorbike
      @BlokeOnAMotorbike Před rokem

      MPs never EVER give a straight answer. They receive training in avoidance response.

  • @Calum_S
    @Calum_S Před rokem +2

    UK government: "If only there was something we could do, but these are private companies."

  • @user-db7dc4xi2l
    @user-db7dc4xi2l Před rokem +7

    It is incredible that we are even discussing this travesty. Why is there no ongoing check? Happy they have apologised? Are you for real? WHY ARE THESE COMPANIES ALLOWED TO DO THIS!!! IF it happens once, they should get a warning, twice a hefty fine and third time, they lose the right to operate this valuable utility. Honestly people, we are being taken for a ride here (again!).

  • @jeffsterling2809
    @jeffsterling2809 Před rokem +18

    They should have never been privatised.

    • @kurtgodel5236
      @kurtgodel5236 Před rokem +2

      Socialist!

    • @RickyT15
      @RickyT15 Před rokem

      Similar situations happening in other parts of the UK were its still public, Just since the populations are much smaller a similar point will take longer to reach with the scale differences.

    • @danke1150
      @danke1150 Před rokem +2

      @@kurtgodel5236 National Socialist* and Yes.

    • @jeffsterling2809
      @jeffsterling2809 Před rokem +1

      @@kurtgodel5236 I support markets but some industries just don't work effectively in the private sector. The NHS being privatised would be a tragedy for example. The national rail being privatised has also been a disaster.

    • @jeffsterling2809
      @jeffsterling2809 Před rokem

      @@RickyT15 Private water companies leak about 20 per cent of our limited water supply. And they routinely discharge raw sewage into rivers and beaches. This is a first-world country and our beaches are overflowing with sewage. Routinely the worst quality in Europe. So let's not let them off the hook with comments such as 'public are just as bad' because, on a case-by-case basis, it's not the case.
      Instead of paying for the infrastructure to fix this, they siphon our money out to shareholders. 95 per cent of company profits went to shareholders between 2007 and 2016.
      There's a reason our water industry is referred to as "the world's piggy bank". They're all foreign-owned and make whoever owns them a fortune at the expense of the British taxpayer and our spectacular environment. It's nothing short of an outrage it makes my blood boil at the incompetency and injustice.

  • @paulrob86
    @paulrob86 Před rokem +10

    The bill payer has already paid the water companies to maintain their plants and prevent raw sewage getting into our rivers and the sea. Any extra money needed must come from their obscene profits even if it means a reduced dividend to investors. Our bills should not be increased. The public is not a bottomless pit of money……

  • @gavinkalaher7314
    @gavinkalaher7314 Před rokem +18

    So glad I left the UK. My mothly water bill arrived today.....the princely sum of 75p. The most expensive electric bill I've had was £15 p/mth. The utility companies rob everyone blind over there. While they toast to record profits and dividend payouts to the shareholders, public services crumble.

  • @paulbiggs5523
    @paulbiggs5523 Před rokem +6

    The public should certainly not pay for the sewage leaks. This is the way it works, water was privatised and, as such, should work as a private business. The cost of rectifying this ghastly mistake should be borne wholly by the water companies and bonuses for managers and share dividends should be suspended until the entire cost is covered. We saw this ridiculousness a few years back with the banks, private entities that failed and were then bailed out by the state i.e.. taxpayers money. Using the state, or increasing bills exponentially to pay for business failures is simply not acceptable, and statements such as "we've listenedd, we've heard" do not wash with me (could you imagine a criminal in the dock claiming "lessons learned" as being an acceptable defence? Of course you would not).

  • @DivineLove247
    @DivineLove247 Před rokem +17

    Why is Rishi Sunak not doing ANYTHING?

    • @Anabsurdsuggestion
      @Anabsurdsuggestion Před rokem +9

      Munnnneee.

    • @haruhisuzumiya6650
      @haruhisuzumiya6650 Před 11 měsíci

      They paid him off 😂

    • @whocares264
      @whocares264 Před 2 měsíci

      because he and the tory party profits from this..
      Thames Water, along with all other water companies in England, was privatised in 1989 when Margaret Thatcher sold off the publicly owned water and sewage industry for £7.6bn.

  • @Acconda
    @Acconda Před rokem +3

    It's ironic how some companies prioritise their greed over taking necessary precautions or allocating funds for required work. They then shift the burden onto the public, expecting them to bear the cost of fixing the mistakes. This cycle often leads to another gradual decline or deterioration. It can be difficult to comprehend that this is the reality we live in, and it can feel like a massive joke on us

  • @peterlangan1181
    @peterlangan1181 Před rokem +14

    The water companies collect money from customers for handling the sewage so of course they have to cover the bills because they got paid for it already. Otherwise they must return the money they have received already.

  • @Mr.Edd3905
    @Mr.Edd3905 Před rokem +14

    Shameful here to refer to citizens in this context as 'the consumer'.

  • @jockman4686
    @jockman4686 Před rokem +11

    Surely we can’t expect these private companies to clean up public spaces? The shareholders need their bonuses it’s immoral to expect them to claim their wages and expect them to do what they should be doing and improving infrastructure.

  • @lal2300
    @lal2300 Před rokem +3

    You can’t charge the public a fortune to make serious profit, pay their top executives an absolute mint and then expect them to squander that profits on actually doing what we have been paying them for surely 🤔!🙄

  • @michaelstevens3479
    @michaelstevens3479 Před rokem +6

    Before I sign the contract I want it understood that should we over charge break all the rules and send £billions overseas etc all costs will be charged to the customer.

  • @chris56269
    @chris56269 Před rokem +5

    Judge: You have been found guilty.
    Offender: Yes and I said I was sorry now isn't it about time someone else paid for my mistakes?

  • @leojohnson-lay4051
    @leojohnson-lay4051 Před rokem +6

    Government legislation literally allows this. Change the goal posts and Water Companies will play ball.

  • @alextclulz
    @alextclulz Před rokem +16

    We need to nationalise water, energy, agriculture, transport, health and education at the least. Need high prosecution and fines.for companies that damage the natural environment.

    • @williammckee6165
      @williammckee6165 Před rokem +1

      fining them is a waste of time it will only go on to the customers bill, they need to be jailed, but those at the top will always find an employee to blame

  • @katecannon7958
    @katecannon7958 Před rokem +4

    Plus don’t forgot the Tory’s tough bill passed last year we were assured the toughest of action was being taken, they just forgot to mention that it would take 25 years and the tough bit meant tough luck public you pay

  • @neiljone9698
    @neiljone9698 Před rokem +3

    I live in Blackpool a seaside resort with children playing on the beach. I used to walk my dogs on the beach until 2022 when my dogs and house started to smell like a sewer, due to COVID they didn't check the water quality so they been pumping raw sewage into the ocean but so much that it's now under the sand. Under south pier dig 2 foot down and you find it. So what did they do to fix this they about 20, 9 inch pipes that pump fresh water that are visible and there are pipes under the sand. The sea wall/steps is now bleached be the council because of the green algae that grows because of the over amount of bacteria being pumped there. All of OUR utilities have to come back to public control. THESE COMPANIES DONT CARE ABOUT ANYTHING APART FROM PROFIT. DONT PAY YOUR WATER BILLS THEY CAN ONLY SEND A DEMAND PAPER THEY CANNOT TAKE YOU TO COURT AND CANNOT DO ANYTHING TO RECLAIM THERE PROFIT. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THEM IS TO REMOVE THERE MONEY.

  • @user-bu9nb8wr6e
    @user-bu9nb8wr6e Před rokem +3

    We need to take back control of what's ours, that includes parliament, oil, gas, electricity and railways. These companies need to be charged with criminal offences and people need to go to prison. Then the company assets seized and the companies need to be returned to public ownership. Those companies need to be run as legitimate businesses making a profit and paying bonuses etc. We need good people working in public owned companies. The reason the tories got away with selling them was because the culture within them was one of do it later etc. They have been trying to do the same with the NHS.

  • @bigbang7897
    @bigbang7897 Před rokem +3

    They must be joking thats like someone taking a dump on your door step and then charging you for cleaning it up.

  • @bigpabz5221
    @bigpabz5221 Před rokem +2

    It is truly repulsive how these companies believe they should gain both the massive profits that they do while also ignoring all the responsibilities. They need to stop pretending to be a public service, and actually pay for their screwups instead of forcing the taxpayer to instead.

  • @kitfagan2027
    @kitfagan2027 Před rokem +4

    The only way that I can see there could be any chance of sufficient compensation or punishment would be to directly fine and imprison the executives and take back the utilities without compensation to any shareholder. Anything short of that would be a slap on the wrists for an "industry" that caused such widescale ecological devastation while simultaneously extracting wealth from the public to shareholders.

  • @sarahstrong7174
    @sarahstrong7174 Před rokem +4

    But, hang on a minute for years we in South Devon paid over the top water bills approaching London prices so that the whole system in this area could be renewed. What happened to that money???!!!

  • @anthonygebala1198
    @anthonygebala1198 Před rokem +3

    Can’t we sue them for putting share holders first and not only not doing their job properly but blatantly breaking the law. They are criminals pure and simple and they should be prosecuted

  • @Morgernstein
    @Morgernstein Před rokem +2

    the water companies have paid out £72 billion in dividends to shareholders since 1989, as water privatisation was sold on improving service and infrastructure, the idea that the public should be expected pay another £10billion which will undoubtedly go into the pockets of shareholders is laughable, the companies should be taken into public ownership, and those responsible for these crimes should be jailed.

  • @mattbooth307
    @mattbooth307 Před rokem +2

    They should all be ordered to suspend share payouts until they've paid for this themselves.

  • @keithmurray6451
    @keithmurray6451 Před rokem +6

    What a softball interview

    • @nickd.6365
      @nickd.6365 Před rokem +1

      Yeah it was, surprisingly disappointing of Channel 4 on this 😒

  • @abloogywoogywoo
    @abloogywoogywoo Před rokem +3

    Its like BP's apology.
    We're sorry.
    _Sorry._
    We're deeply sorry. I'm, sorry.

  • @Deactivatedsorry
    @Deactivatedsorry Před rokem +2

    I watched as the river near where I grew up was flooded with sewage and pollution. The fish all died first, then the frogs all left and then all of the grass snakes and larger animals left too. Disgusting how these people have been getting away with these criminal acts.

  • @sheriashley7692
    @sheriashley7692 Před rokem +2

    That’s outrageous what they are doing with raw sewage. In Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺 all our sewage is properly treated and filtered thru many many treatment ponds and wetlands before it’s release. The wetlands are a haven for many rare and protected birds and many birdwatchers go there for sightings. Our rivers are pretty clean as a result. I hope that England can clean up. It’s a disgrace that the water companies have treated the environment as their own dumping ground. Best of luck.

  • @Yvonned2011
    @Yvonned2011 Před rokem +3

    They caused the damage they should foot the bill it’s time to take our power back start saying no

  • @lofty9999
    @lofty9999 Před rokem +5

    Channel 4 news the only outlet dealing with what really matters. Shouldve have to say thank you but THANKS ❤

  • @simontemplarGB
    @simontemplarGB Před rokem +1

    Those responsible should be charged with criminal offences like anyone else would.

  • @rossspenser8314
    @rossspenser8314 Před 9 měsíci +1

    They say we get money back next year £150 pounds .Because they have dumped dirty water into the sea .And then they say we have to pay more for are water .What a joke

  • @chipko
    @chipko Před rokem +9

    "Take back control" never meant to hold these investorment company owners to account.
    This whole situation is outrageous and regional split privatisation just meant there's too many to hold accountable.

    • @inkman6964
      @inkman6964 Před rokem +1

      No point taking back control when they have done the damage and the pipe work needs replaced

  • @TheAshCooper
    @TheAshCooper Před rokem +4

    It's just like when BP apologised for the oil spills.

    • @Relugus
      @Relugus Před rokem +1

      I am reminded of South Park's parody of that. Very apt.

    • @TheAshCooper
      @TheAshCooper Před rokem

      @@Relugus were sorry..... 😅

  • @fieldmarshalgaig4856
    @fieldmarshalgaig4856 Před rokem +1

    “We’ve listened” to what?!? People saying don’t pump sewage into our rivers and onto our beaches?! Because it’s not obvious people don’t want that happening

  • @Max-ht9hf
    @Max-ht9hf Před rokem +2

    The 'Privatisation' of the water industry was sold to the public on the basis that private businesses could and would raise capital for modernisation on the financial markets much more easily !1.4 billion in profits very nice indeed!

  • @nxyp-xftf9745
    @nxyp-xftf9745 Před rokem +5

    Agree government at its worst

  • @chris56269
    @chris56269 Před rokem +5

    They need to cap the amount of profit that private companies can make relative to investment for businesses that provide utilities and services that are needed as part of the national infrastructure. That might not sound attractive to shareholders but the trade off is the fact that they are in an industry where they is essentially none of the risk that most 'normal' businesses have due to the fact that they are essential services.

    • @williammckee6165
      @williammckee6165 Před rokem

      you mean stop ripping off the customer

    • @chris56269
      @chris56269 Před rokem

      @@williammckee6165 I don't think any businesses should rip off their customers but I think if you are going to privatise national infrastructure then there needs to be some regulation on how much profit can be extracted to account for the fact that you essentially have a captive market.

  • @user-tf4vt9jh1c
    @user-tf4vt9jh1c Před rokem +1

    Enough of this greed please bring the water companies back into public ownership

  • @paulhinkley11
    @paulhinkley11 Před rokem +2

    Also whoever sold our property to these companies need to be locked up

  • @glynbo1988
    @glynbo1988 Před rokem +5

    Thing is we’ll all pay for it without question. 😂

    • @strangeke7750
      @strangeke7750 Před rokem +2

      Speak for yourself

    • @stephenwalker2924
      @stephenwalker2924 Před rokem +1

      we got no choice. one cannot boycott water. we need to live, unfortunately.

    • @kurtgodel5236
      @kurtgodel5236 Před rokem +3

      @@stephenwalker2924 No, there is no need for you to live. That's a life choice you may not be able to afford. Affordable water and cheese sandwiches are not a human right.

    • @andrewjones-productions
      @andrewjones-productions Před rokem

      @@kurtgodel5236 People could drink turnip juice instead....

  • @minxiv7
    @minxiv7 Před rokem +2

    Sorry doesn’t keep our environment safe! They need to do more than saying sorry! They should be made to do more. This money needs to come from the CEOs and the bonuses! Not the people.

  • @alfst5546
    @alfst5546 Před rokem +1

    It’s about time the government takes the companies to task instead of letting the make profits for their share holds, it’s complete disgrace

  • @thaifreeburma
    @thaifreeburma Před rokem +4

    Most important of all those util-co shareholders were kept satisfied. And if the government was running the show there wouldn't need to be stock dividend payments, would there?

  • @widervision710
    @widervision710 Před rokem +4

    Good old Brexit poop......
    The gift is endless

    • @kurtgodel5236
      @kurtgodel5236 Před rokem

      This is just the beginning of the beginning ...

    • @widervision710
      @widervision710 Před rokem

      @@kurtgodel5236 oh yeah, there is a stack more in the post for sure....

  • @OdysseusLaerte
    @OdysseusLaerte Před rokem +1

    As for the privatisation of train companies, the British public is once again victim of the lack of interest from private investors to invest into infrastructures.
    Private investors are happy to buy/rent facilities when they are in good working state and profitable.
    Once the private investors realised that they have to abide to some costly rules/laws or that they must spend money in the infrastructures, they rely on the tax payer "generosity" to compensate for their avarice.
    Let's be clear, the successive British Governments have been unable to curb those kinds of practices. With the Tory in power, this status quo will continue for decades to come.

  • @titteryenot4524
    @titteryenot4524 Před rokem +2

    💩 With all this human waste being directly poured into Britain’s rivers, there might have to be a renaming: the Dee will be the Pee; the Severn will become the Cistern; the Ouse will be renamed the Poos; the Ure will be the Manure; the Ribble will become the Jimmy Riddle; and the Dart will be renamed the Fart! 💨

  • @andrewstafford-jones4291

    The water monopolies pay out 72 Billion to shareholders and still break the law?
    Ofwat is a complete joke.
    The management and directors of the water companies have nothing but contempt for the "dumb" government, Civil Service and the regulator who have allowed them to price gouge the public since privatisation.
    They have a monopoly and can do what they want - the regulator seems to actively help them out.

  • @barnkhan
    @barnkhan Před rokem +2

    The get paid to do one job. They didn’t do it for decades. If your hairdresser fucks your hair up you don’t pay extra for them to fix it

  • @vot3r
    @vot3r Před rokem +1

    Absolute outrage, the shareholders and water companies should be the only ones made to pay to fix this.
    0 payments made to shareholders and 0 bonuses until they fix this at their own cost.
    And the fix should certainly not come from increasing the publics bill.
    They should be taken to court and leaders thrown in prison.

  • @ragemachine4991
    @ragemachine4991 Před rokem +2

    Time to hand it back where it belongs, in public ownership, water and sewerage is not for profit but for the well being and health of the nation, Greedy CEO's and shareholders need to stop robbing the public and do the job they're paid for or get lost!

  • @toriladybird511
    @toriladybird511 Před rokem +2

    I thought we paid to treat the sewage.. if that's not being done WHY AM I PAYING???

  • @oxygenkiosk
    @oxygenkiosk Před rokem +1

    We should not be paying for private companies' mismanagement, or the Tory's mismanagement in Policing those monopolies. Huge fines for pollution and environmental crime should assist with reduced profiteering.

  • @ticktockworkshop8169
    @ticktockworkshop8169 Před rokem +1

    Water companies moved from a preventative to reactive maintenance and repair system and just pocketed the cash until it all fell apart. They’ve already been given the money for the job, but they haven’t done it.

  • @pheel7142
    @pheel7142 Před rokem +2

    Of course we are outraged.. sick of these huge companies just sucking money out of us and not using it for what it’s meant for. Eventually there will be no competition and no other options.. and that is the plan.

  • @starsailor49
    @starsailor49 Před rokem +1

    The Water companies WILL hike prices but once the new infrastructure is paid for in full they will NEVER decrease.

  • @jamesgravil9162
    @jamesgravil9162 Před rokem +1

    Ah, this reminds me of that old South Park episode where British Petroleum goes digging for oil on the Moon and accidentally releases Cthulhu, which brings a thousand years of terror. (This is after they've already caused a massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico and killed all the wildlife.) They runs a series of ads saying "We're sorry" and the British public just forgives them.

  • @bobattoe5129
    @bobattoe5129 Před rokem +2

    we paid for them to sort the sewage already, if they havent done it shouldnt we get our money back

  • @Trustyfilms
    @Trustyfilms Před rokem +1

    I wonder if money and greed has anything to do with this monumental catastrophe? Fines are fine, but someone needs to do jail time.

  • @Taytates-lr6kg
    @Taytates-lr6kg Před rokem +1

    It's absolutely disgraceful why are these people still employed in these water companies..they should all be sacked..they should be given a deadline to get it all fixed.

  • @johnwalkley6746
    @johnwalkley6746 Před rokem +1

    As many have said, we’ve paid already for this service but they want us to pay again for something they didn’t do now. Ummm didn’t they give shareholders bonuses and top management bonuses? It’s time for Therese Coffee to step in and sort it out. Yay.

  • @kevinhoran5253
    @kevinhoran5253 Před rokem +1

    Twenty years ago they said big price increases where needed to tackle the problem. In twenty years the problem has got worse not better. Billions gone on dividends and bonuses. Time something is done. The public are just being robbed.

  • @bikerantics5001
    @bikerantics5001 Před rokem +1

    Greed is far more important than the environment and peoples safety and well being.

  • @LibertarianGalt
    @LibertarianGalt Před rokem +1

    Sorry isn't enough. It's time you worked for free until it's sorted.

  • @kevinsheehan3558
    @kevinsheehan3558 Před rokem +1

    Just dont pay ya water bills, revolt against this disgraceful greedy private water companies.

  • @johnvonhorn2942
    @johnvonhorn2942 Před rokem +1

    I did contracting for work Thames for a decade. You've got guys earning £44,000 a year on up and tend to do around two days of actual work a week. When I started I was encouraged to do half an hour of work for six hours of pay. I can absolutely promise you, the public that Water companies in the UK are awash with cash and that there is absolutely no need for you to be paying a penny more. If I had the power I could cut your bills by 10% and still offer a first class service. Welcome to "Broken 'Jack the Lad' Britain".
    I strongly implore my fellow Brits to start committing crime on a massive scale. If you can't beat them you might as well join them.
    PS Thames new CEO, Sarah Bentley, somehow needs a £2 million a year paycheque. Oh, she also required two "golden handshakes totalling around £750,000 to "encourage" her to join Thames

  • @jamessmith84240
    @jamessmith84240 Před rokem +2

    So it's private when we are taking profits, but it's public when we need to spend. Got it.

  • @jjjjrrr678
    @jjjjrrr678 Před rokem +1

    It's mind boggling this is even a thing.... clean it up yesterday or face jail.... the dividends paid speak for themselves