We Own It

Five water companies can raise bills by 2.2%, UK competition authority rules Permission comes on top of 24% average increase previously given by industry regulator Ofwat

Just outrageous - water bills up AGAIN while sewage spews

There is no competition
There is no market

Privatisation is wasteful - it can only be propped up by increasing your bills

PUBLIC OWNERSHIP NOW

www.ft.com/content/b9b8...

Last week Ash Smith & Peter Hammond joined us to tell Environment Minister Emma Reynolds she must reject Thames Water's rescue bid.

High Wycombe, her constituency is surrounded by illegal sewage dumping.

Thames Water's Dirty Business must stop. Sign our petition if you agree.
vist.ly/4u9di

The Proceeds of Crime. Surely not? Multi-billion-pound 'highly regulated' utilities with highly paid CEOs, making money by systematically breaking the law? You might quite reasonably be thinking, no , you must be wrong! 'Ok, this is why we are not.Illegal pollution is highly profitable and regulation keeps it so.Here is the short version.Explainer.Privatised water companies in England and Wales obtain, treat, and distribute drinking water and collect and treat sewage before releasing it to the environment as required

💩Great explainer here from Windrush Wasp about how multi-billion-pound 'highly regulated' utilities with highly paid CEOs are making money by systematically breaking the law.

We need to flush these crooks out of our water system. We need public ownership.

🌊Fantastic to see another council call for Thames Water to be brought back into public hands!

The public should decide what happens to our water, not shareholders!

Swindon Borough Council is now one of a dozen councils standing up for what 82% of the public want.

🆙Stamp prices are going up AGAIN - despite Royal Mail's services getting worse.

Privatisation of Royal Mail has been a titanic failure.

It is time to take it away from the billionaire Daniel Křetínský and bring it into public ownership.

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/i...

Picture of Kathy Burke with a quote from her Bluesky account: "Dirty Business on C4 was absolutely brilliant and f*****g terrifying. It's imperative we re-nationalise our water companies otherwise the greedy b*****s will kill us all."

English National Treasure says what!

If you agree with Kathy Burke, sign our petition. Bring Thames Water into public ownership. Then we can work on the rest.

vist.ly/4u32r

Pumped-up poo protest in High Wycombe over water pollution A sewage campaign, with inflatable reminders of what waste water contains, goes to Buckinghamshire.

Pumped-up poo protest over water pollution

#Bedfordshire #BedsBucksHerts

🔗: https://www.bbc.com/news/arti...

Pumped-up poo protest in High Wycombe over water pollution A sewage campaign, with inflatable reminders of what waste water contains, goes to Buckinghamshire.

Take 2 mins to write to Ofwat now and say NO to illegal Thames Water sewage pollution: https://weownit.org.uk/act-now/email-ofwat-the-public-have-said-no-to-illegal-sewage-until-2040

Pumped-up poo protest in High Wycombe over water pollution A sewage campaign, with inflatable reminders of what waste water contains, goes to Buckinghamshire.

'We Own It said the proposal effectively sought "to pollute outside of legal limits for the next 14 years"'.

💩Our protest this week, covered by the BBC 💩

"Shocking, absolutely couldn't believe it's a true story"

Jessica, mum of 3 kids, talks about Dirty Business and the time her son got ill from sewage

She tells Environment Minister Emma Reynolds: say NO to Thames Water's proposal for 14 years of sewage outside of legal limits

Last year Jessica's son got ill after playing in the River Thames. Her message to Environment Minister? Don't let our children get ill. Stop the illegal sewage.

If you agree sign our petition: vist.ly/4txpt

South East Water customers urge action as company faces £22m fine Customers cut off in Kent and Sussex in 2025 say they are tired of

NO MORE POINTLESS FINES

Privatised water companies see fines as the cost of doing business

Pocket change while they keep prioritising shareholders

Remove South East Water's licence, take it into public ownership NOW

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

✨Yesterday was incredible ✨

100 people and 💩 14 giant inflatable poos 💩right in the heart of Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds' constituency

Ofwat and the Environment Secretary must say NO to 14 years of illegal Thames Water sewage pollution

Take 2 mins to email Ofwat now: vist.ly/4ttyp

Lois speaks truth to power!
Last year she challenged Steve Reed to meet her at the football.

This year she's calling out Emma Reynolds on the lie that we need private investors to deliver our water.

Public ownership now, starting with Thames Water vist.ly/4tt7z

Ash Smith, the campaigner behind Channel 4's Dirty Business docu-drama, tells the government - get a grip!

Private profiteers can't be trusted any longer with our water - it needs to be in public hands, starting with Thames Water.

Act NOW - sign the petition: vist.ly/4tq48

Show your support - write to Ofwat demanding they say NO to Thames Water https://weownit.org.uk/act-now/email-ofwat-the-public-have-said-no-to-illegal-sewage-until-2040

Thames Water is on the brink of collapse. As part of the deal they have put forward, Thames Water's creditors are asking to pollute illegally until 2040.

We're in High Wycombe today to tell Environment Minister Emma Reynolds that she must reject this proposal. 1/2

Picture of Hugh Grant, with a quote of his from X: "Dirty Business on Channel 4. Brilliantly made, devastating. Water must be nationalised now. The owners of the private water companies jailed."

Hang it in the The Louvre! *

Hugh Grant is right - the privatisation of water is a scam, and it's a Very English Scandal that no-one has been brought to justice for the destruction of our rivers and seas.

We need public ownership, and oversight, now.


* (with extra security)

This A level economics revision session on Privatisation and Nationalisation includes a crucial point 👇

Rachel Reeves should be pouring money into public services, REVERSING AUSTERITY to boost the economy (and improve quality of life) #springstatement

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RemN...

💯If Dirty Business has enraged you, channel that anger! We fight for public ownership, and winning campaigns for people not profit.
Sign up for our newsletters and updates: weownit.org.uk/people-not-p...

What is different about latest Wrexham-to-London rail bid? Politicians and business leaders have travelled to London to push for a new direct rail service.

Alstom, a private company that made £435 million in dividends last year, wants to run "open access" trains in our railway.

Open access is no solution. They:

❌lead to billions being taken out
❌disrupt the whole railway

Build all services under GBR - in public ownership. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Thousands of pollution incidents in England downgraded without site visit, data suggests Exclusive: Whistleblower figures show large rise in ‘serious’ to ‘minor’ downgrades based on water company evidence

Take 2 mins now to to write to Ofwat and demand that they say NO to the Thames Water creditors' demand to pollute illegally until 2040 - https://weownit.org.uk/act-now/email-ofwat-the-public-have-said-no-to-illegal-sewage-until-2040

Thousands of pollution incidents in England downgraded without site visit, data suggests Exclusive: Whistleblower figures show large rise in ‘serious’ to ‘minor’ downgrades based on water company evidence

And why is there no pushback? The water companies are paying the Environment Agency!!

Enough of this farce. Public ownership of water now.

2/3

Thousands of pollution incidents in England downgraded without site visit, data suggests Exclusive: Whistleblower figures show large rise in ‘serious’ to ‘minor’ downgrades based on water company evidence

❌This government is telling us that regulating water companies is the answer to the sewage crisis...❌

....Yet regulators are more toothless than ever. The environment agency is writing off serious sewage spills without even visiting sites, because water companies won't let them.
1/3

🚨Exciting news! Peter Hammond & Ash Smith, founders of Windrush Wasp & the inspiration for Channel 4's 'Dirty Business', will be at our protest in High Wycombe this Wednesday.

If you agree Thames Water can't be allowed to pollute illegally for the next 14 years, join us: vist.ly/4tdnf

Rail fares frozen in first pause for 30 years A freeze on regulated rail fares has come into effect with ministers claiming the move will save passengers around £600m over the coming year.

Freezing rail fares = step in right direction

But if Keir Starmer wants to "put train travel back into the service of passengers not profits" he must

🚄bring ROLLING STOCK into public ownership
🚄give PASSENGERS a real say
🚄kick ALL private profits out

www.cityam.com/rail-fares-f...

Infographic of a YouGove poll showing that voters across party lines primarily want to see railway companies and utilities run in the public sector.

👍Your regular reminder that public ownership is popular. This is a poll by YouGove taken just before the last General Election

Image of MP Shockat Adam carrying a placard that says “I am backing amendments to the Railways Bill to cut passenger fares, end rolling stock profiteering, give passengers a seat at the table in the railway and reverse rail cuts and reconnect our communities”

😡🤯Private companies that own our trains paid out £1.16 billion in dividends to shareholders since 2022.

The Railways Bill will allow this to continue. UNACCEPTABLE! Thank you @shockatadam.bsky.social for supporting an end to rail profiteering.

Email your own MP: weownit.org.uk/act-now/pass...

On Wednesday 4th March, we're saying NO to 14 years of illegal sewage - join us Protest in Emma Reynolds' constituency against Thames Water Ofwat deal, which would sign off on 14 years of illegal sewage pollution

Angry after watching Dirty Business on Channel 4?

Channel it! 👇👇👇

📢 @ashsmith43.bsky.social @windrushwasp.bsky.social
will be at our protest against illegal sewage Weds 4th in High Wycombe 🤩 - join us!

Can't make it? Write to Ofwat weownit.org.uk/act-now/emai...

weownit.org.uk/news/on-wedn...

What could Thames Water look like in public ownership? 1) A supervisory governing board with representatives from households, workers, communities, environmental groups, local councils and water experts.

Dirty Business has made it crystal clear - it's just UNACCEPTABLE for our water to be run for profit for shareholders and creditors

In public ownership, Thames Water could be accountable to households, workers, anti sewage groups, local councillors 👇

weownit.org.uk/blog/what-co...