Hapless Thames Water is finally drinking in the last chance saloon

Can troubled UK utilities company find any willing suitors after KKR’s 11th-hour abandonment of £4bn bid?Call yourself barbarians at the gate? Actually, KKR hates the decades-old description, but the US private equity firm is still meant to have a fearsome reputation for doing its homework, being a cute judge of political risks and going where others fear to tread. All of which makes its 11th-hour abandonment of its £4bn bid for Thames Water very odd.The suggestion is that the big bosses in New York couldn’t stomach the political and reputational risks of owning the UK’s largest and most crisis-ridden water company. If that’s the reasoning, though, KKR should explain itself. The political risks aren’t obviously worse than six months ago – and arguably are less now that the government’s water commissioner, Sir Jon Cunliffe, is talking aloud about “how to restore the stability and predictability of the regulatory system” in his interim report published co-incidentally on Tuesday. Thames’s reputation is still in the gutter, but that’s not fresh news. Continue reading...

Comments

Business News

Thieves cut through wall, safe to steal $1.3 million in jewelry in Illinois

washington times

I'm a mom of 4, and there's no winning in parenting. People complain if kids are playing outside or if they're looking at screens.

about 4 hours ago

2025 Tony Awards Predictions: Who Will Win Every Major Category

Forbes

Comments

Business News

Thieves cut through wall, safe to steal $1.3 million in jewelry in Illinois

Martin Lewis issues Cash ISA rules update for anyone with tax-free savings

Five ways to make your own dips using ingredients you may already have

From a ‘bored’ cat to a dog dealing with the heat – your pet queries answered

JEFF PRESTRIDGE: NatWest leaves tourist hotspot without a single bank branch

Actress Helen Lederer needed a loan when the tax was due for her Celebrity Big Brother stint

It's great to have a female Chancellor - just not this one!, says jeweller Kiki McDonough

Trump's tariffs will cost UK steel industry £150m - despite trade deal

Millions of homeowners could be paying far too much for their mortgages

I'd never paid a bill until my divorce at 57!

The expensive funds that ARE worth paying for

Starmer's trade deals FIASCO: 'Win-wins' are just sugar-coated concessions

BP battles for its independence amid takeover talk

GUINNESS EUROPEAN EQUITY INCOME: Forgotten fund turning gems into £100m moneymaker

Britain must retain the means of making iron, says Sir Andrew Cook

A touch of glass! Glam greenhouses create frenzy in US

HAMISH MCRAE: Flying Footsie defies the gloom

TONY HETHERINGTON: John Lewis binned my carpet - but refuses to give me a refund

AI leaders have a new term for the fact that their models are not always so intelligent

AMA: Doctors And Patients Hurt By ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

Gavin Newsom And Jay Pritzker Offering Red States The Deal Of Lifetime

WWE Money In The Bank 2025: Men’s IC Title Match Added Last Minute

Horror Comedy ‘Clown In A Cornfield’ Arrives On Streaming This Week

UFC 316 Results: Winners And Losers Dvalishvili Vs. O’Malley 2 Card

‘Ginny & Georgia’ Season 3: Brianne Howey Discusses Her Character’s Mental Health

Lebanon aims to lure back Gulf tourists to jumpstart its war-torn economy

Uh, Costco cards don't work as REAL ID at airports, says TSA

Trump says Xi will relinquish rare earths; trade talks set for Monday in London

Trump says Musk will face 'consequences' if he backs Democrats

Many HSBC customers get up to £868 for free

UK households earning under £40,000 given £250 cash payment

The ultimate loser of Trump and Musk’s bloody battle royale could be the nation

Morrison shoppers are rushing to buy three new chocolate flavours of popular coffee drink

I tried UK’s wackiest ice cream flavours from pickled onion to Bisto – the crazy £4.50 winner surprised me

Trump says he has no desire to fix his relationship with Musk, even after the former 'first buddy' deletes his X posts

Burnes’ Season-Ending Injury Complicates Arizona’s Future

Detroit Tigers ‘Prospect’ Is A Baseball Study In Pure Perseverance

Musk Follows Harvard In Biting The Hand That Feeds

BowFlex Recalls 3.8 Million Adjustable Dumbbells After Injury Reports

Savvy shoppers spot amazing Tesco Clubcard trick to get Cineworld tickets for £1 each

I'm a mom of 4, and there's no winning in parenting. People complain if kids are playing outside or if they're looking at screens.

2025 Tony Awards Predictions: Who Will Win Every Major Category

Inside A Joyful D.C. WorldPride Music Fest With Jennifer Lopez, Paris Hilton, Zedd, More

Phillies Place Bryce Harper On IL, Call Up Otto Kemp

‘Fortnite’ Is Down: Here’s When Servers Come Back Online For Season 3 And Superman

I'd never paid a bill until my divorce at 57! Here's the vital advice I'd give every married woman...

Al Pacino Horror Movie ‘The Ritual’ Splattered With 6% Critics Score

The Musk Vs. Trump Feud: Musk Deletes Tweet Linking President To Epstein Files

Nintendo Issues Two Safety Warnings About The Nintendo Switch 2

NYT ‘Connections’ Hints And Answers For Sunday, June 8th

Coco Gauff Becomes First American Woman Since Serena Williams To Win French Open

Coco Gauff Wins French Open—Her Second Grand Slam Title

WWE Money In The Bank 2025 Match Card, Participants And Favorites

Gauff And Sabalenka Final Show Women’s Tennis Is Ready For 5 Sets

‘Ballerina’ Has Higher Audience Scores Than Every ‘John Wick’ Movie

Gap Partners With Malbon Golf To Bridge Gap Between Style And Sport

Can an American pope apply U.S.-style fundraising to fix Vatican finances?

What it would take to convert a jet from Qatar into Air Force One to safely fly Trump

X for the win? Users were glued to the Elon Musk v. President Trump blowup

Federal judge approves $2.8B settlement, paving way for U.S. colleges to pay athletes millions