It is still a bit of a mystery to most of us – and possibly to the candidate himself – what Andy Burnham actually believes in. Still, amid all the waffle, one point has come through with complete clarity. He thinks utilities such as railways and water should be under public control. When asked about this earlier this month, he said: ‘Public ownership is absolutely an option. I would say for Thames Water, that is what should be done.’

That is all well and good. But it appears that Thames Water is likely to face a cash crunch in the coming months – and, should he become prime minister, Burnham and his administration will face its first big crisis as a result. 

Keir Starmer’s government today decided to reject a proposed private sector rescue deal, meaning that Thames Water has........

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