Burnham mulls insolvency law shake-up to help bring utilities under public control

Changes could trigger a legal challenge from creditors to Thames Water, who have promised to fight any attempt to change insolvency laws. Photograph: Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

Andy Burnham is considering ripping up the country’s insolvency laws to make it easier to bring key utilities such as Thames Water under public control.

Sources have told the Guardian the prime minister is considering a range of options as he seeks ways of delivering on his promise to radically reshape the way England’s water and Britain’s energy companies are run.