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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Nils Pratley

The water torture goes on at Thames. Sector-wide reform isn’t moving much faster

A protester wears an Andy Burnham mask and cape, holding a sign about Thames Water's future
A person wears an Andy Burnham face mask during a protest against Thames Water outside the Labour party conference last month. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

It is strange now to recall that Thames Water had a prominent slot on what was known as “Sue’s shit list” – the internal Labour dossier, compiled by Keir Starmer’s first chief of staff, Sue Gray, of potential crises that could erupt at short notice and force the incoming administration to make some big decisions quickly.

That was July 2024. Here we are – more than two years later – and the Thames script has barely advanced. We’re still waiting to see if the financial crisis at the over-indebted, under-performing water company will be resolved by a creditor-led recapitalisation, special administration or something else.

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