The Cunliffe Report is a joke. It protects water profiteers, screws over billpayers, and will do little to reduce pollution in our rivers and coastlines. The only solution is for water to be taken into public ownership – and run for the benefit of people and planet, not profit.

This has been a dire year for the privatised water companies. Some, like Thames Water, have teetered on the brink of collapse; they have hiked bills by an average of 27 per cent (about eight times the rate of inflation), and serious water pollution incidents increased by 60 per cent.

We’re paying more than ever to get more pollution than ever. But this isn’t a one-off bad year. Since water was privatised in 1989, the private companies have hiked prices above inflation, failed to invest, polluted our rivers and seas, and now want us to pay more to clear up their environmental and financial mess.

But the Government established the Cunliffe review while ruling out any systematic change. And here we are today with a laughable report recommending abolishing one quango (Ofwat), while establishing another regulator in its place. Even more ridiculously, this new regulator will take over the responsibility of water companies to monitor and report any sewage spills or pollution........

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