Water firms should serve the common good | Letters

Jeffrey Henderson suggests legally requiring water and other private companies to operate in the interests of the British public, while Peter Bowden favours the Green party’s clear commitment to renationalisationThe Water Commission’s failure to consider renationalisation as an option for the industry does not necessarily mean that we’ll “watch the industry continue to sink under the failed model of privatisation”, as the Green party’s co-leader, Adrian Ramsay, has suggested (‘Less reorganising, more doing’: landmark report alone won’t fix broken water sector, 21 July). But, as you say in your editorial (21 July), it will mean that “making water companies value the public interest more highly, relative to private profit, will be an ongoing struggle”.There is a way, however, of ensuring that the public interest wins this struggle. Change the laws on corporate governance. Legally require water and other private companies to operate in the interests of the common good, and develop a regulatory system to ensure that this happens. This would make it easier to prosecute CEOs and other senior executives, should they fail to run their companies in the interests of the British people. In legislating this way, the government could take its lead from the German constitution, article 14, clause 2 of which states: “Property entails obligations. Its use shall also serve the public good.” Continue reading...

Comments

Business News

Trump says Fed’s Powell is ready to start slashing interest rates

Newyork Post

Musician Zac Brown And Almost-Billionaire Kendra Scott Celebrate Engagement News—But He’s Still Fighting Ex-Wife In Court

about 4 hours ago

Raiders’ Release Of Christian Wilkins May Conflict With Medical Autonomy Provided For In CBA

Forbes

Comments

Similar News

'I've found a way to get my go-to Stanley Quencher water bottle for £16'

Successful women shared their morning routines with us. Lemon water, dance parties, and phone time are key.

3 workers trapped in Canadian mine have air, food and water amid rescue operations

Skechers rivals Berghaus with water-repellent boots that are ‘great for autumn and winter’

Why Starmer is pinning his hopes on economic growth as he faces eye-watering choices in which there can be no compromise

I went to Maine and ranked 5 famous lobster rolls. My favorite was served up on the water's edge.

Vintage photos show how American cities looked before the EPA regulated water and air pollution

A former NFL champion shares his daily routine to stay fit at 37 &mdash; with open water swimming and 200 grams of protein a day

Water industry may be added to list of sensitive business sectors, says minister

Water industry may be added to list of sensitive business sectors, says minister

Abolishing Ofwat is fine but not enough: teach water bosses that failure has consequences | Gaby Hinsliff

The Guardian view on the water industry: a return to public ownership should still be on the table | Editorial

Cunliffe’s reforms for water should have happened 20 years ago | Nils Pratley

‘Broken’ water industry in England and Wales faces tighter controls under new watchdog

‘Never again’: Regulatory reform pledged to prevent repeat of water bill hikes

&#163;104bn of water industry investment will come from bill payers, Reed concedes

‘Beautiful’ water feature that’s ‘so very charming and realistic’ falls from £176 to £66

Water bill rises needed to cover investment, says report

‘Never again’: Regulatory reform pledged to prevent repeat of water bill hikes

Water bill warning as major report to shake-up 'broken' industry released

Business News

Trump says Fed’s Powell is ready to start slashing interest rates

Louis Vuitton owner LVMH in talks to sell Marc Jacobs in deal that could fetch $1B: report

Sunny success at pub giant Mitchells & Butlers

ALEX BRUMMER: Banks face a fintech coup

Trump and Powell in Fed bust-up as tensions mount

ANNE ASHWORTH reveals the benefits of investing in UK firms

RAY MASSEY: New Aston Martin would leave Bond shaken and stirred!

Building products group Marshalls shares tumble as sales fall

Netflix is quietly searching for an exec to lead its video podcast efforts as it chases YouTube

Tea app that lets women post anonymous dating reviews was hit by a data breach that exposed 72K images

Microsoft employees react to CEO's 'enigma of success' memo with a mixture of suspicion, anger, and speculation

Are you a single mom? We want to hear from you about your challenges and life experiences

Corporate America's weird tariffs summer

Poker players call foul on Trump's tax and spending law

50 Timeless ‘80s Songs That Defined A Generation

UFC Abu Dhabi Fight Card: Odds, Prop Bets, Predictions And Picks

What We Know About David Ellison—Soon-To-Be Paramount Chief And Major Hollywood Honcho

New York Yankees Add 3B Ryan McMahon To Address Pressing Need

Coach X WNBA: A Stylish Play In The Brand’s Ongoing Reinvention

50 Essential ‘90s Songs Everyone Should Know

Mick Jagger And Keith Richards Get Rolling Stones Action Figures

Would Isak Signing Make Liverpool’s Transfer Window The Best Ever?

Mackage’s Latest “Protect Your Craft” Campaign Stars Dominik Livaković

Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Ban In Third Ruling Opposing President

Cenovus floated as potential competing bidder for hostile takeover target MEG Energy

Real-life ‘RoboCop’ makes debut in Shanghai — directing traffic at bustling intersection

Elon Musk hits back at Trump after president said he didn’t want to strip Tesla boss of subsidies

My parents sold their home of 40 years and retired to Colombia. I moved them back to the US when they both got sick.

ChatGPT can find and book an Airbnb for you now

Welcome aboard the 'AI crazy train'

OpenAI chairman says training your own AI model is a good way to 'destroy your capital'

'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' ending gives a tantalizing hint about 'Avengers: Doomsday'

Stephen Colbert, ‘South Park’ And The Return Of Political Comedy

Will Carter Hart Ever Play In The NHL Again

The Good, Bad And Ugly From Day 3 Of Packers’ Training Camp

Musician Zac Brown And Almost-Billionaire Kendra Scott Celebrate Engagement News—But He’s Still Fighting Ex-Wife In Court

Raiders’ Release Of Christian Wilkins May Conflict With Medical Autonomy Provided For In CBA

Claressa Shields Vs. Lani Daniels Fight Card Ring Walk Time

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Violated House Rules During Met Gala Appearance, Ethics Committee Says

Rewriting The Narrative Of Hurricane Katrina

Northern Lights Forecast: These 14 States Could See Aurora Borealis This Weekend

'People Are Dying': Oxfam America CEO Describes What She's Seen Abroad Since Trump Admin Cut USAID

Ghislaine Maxwell’s DOJ Testimony Ends—Lawyer Says She ‘Didn’t Hold Anything Back’

Alina Habba Staying On As U.S. Attorney Despite Judges Rejecting Her—Here’s How

The New World Food Prize Laureate Uses Microorganisms To Save Soils

Grand Slam Track In Trouble As Founder Michael Johnson Admits League Has ‘Major Cash Flow’ Issues

Rescue Dog Who Inspired Krypto In ‘Superman’ Sparks Heroic Impact On Shelter Adoptions

Is now the time to buy or sell a used car? As new sales dip, what to know

Project Veritas Withdraws Lawsuit Against The New York Times

Behind Trump’s War With Powell: A Battering Ram With 3 Million Followers

How Will David Ellison Tackle the Big Problems at Paramount?

Pura Scents recalling more than 850,000 diffuser covers as magnet issue may cause ingestion hazard

Goldman Sachs hungry for acquisitions — but not for the targets you think

Tesla lost out on billions of dollars by dumping Bitcoin at worst time

Venmo, PayPal users can now send money to the US government to help pay down $36.7T national debt

This humanoid robot can run, cartwheel and fist-fight – and it costs just $6K

Louis Vuitton faces money laundering probe after shopper drops $3.5M on luxury handbags

A former NFL champion shares his daily routine to stay fit at 37 — with open water swimming and 200 grams of protein a day

£104bn of water industry investment will come from bill payers, Reed concedes