Today’s ad hoc report from the Environment and Rural Affairs Committee urging ministers to reject a £10 billion Thames Water rescue deal landed just in time for the LibDem conference, which kicks off in Brighton tomorrow. Is the timing a coincidence?
The report calls on the Government to reject a privately funded Thames Water rescue and explore “all potential alternative options“, landing the mess with the taxpayer.
The Committee last grilled Thames Water bosses more than a year ago, in July 2025, and talks over the company’s future grind on. But the report has been rushed out in double quick time…
The Committee is chaired by veteran LibDem MP Alistair Carmichael, and the party’s Rural Affairs spokesperson Sarah Dyke is a member. The report lands days before LibDem members will debate a conference motion on “Britain’s Water Company Crisis”. Among the campaign groups cited in the report are Surfers Against Sewage. These wetsuited, tousle-haired centrist dads are hosting a conference fringe on sewage with LibDem MP David Chadwick. They’re also organising a swim ahead of a beach clean with stunt obsessed Ed Davey. Water is a big wedge issue in the leafy London and South East seats the LibDems are targeting…
Andy Haldane, Burnham’s recent adviser on the economy who has not taken up a No10 job, told Andrew Marr on LBC:
“The market now suspects that this is a traditional tax-and-spend socialist government with better TikTok videos…
imposing windfall taxes on oil & gas or on banks or upping capital gains tax would […] repeat the mistake that Rachel made […] The Achilles heel, the fiscal Achilles heel of this government thus far has been its unwillingness and/or inability to cut public spending.”