REPRESENTATIVES of water-based groups from across Wyre Forest got together at Bewdley’s St George’s Hall with Mark Garnier MP to discuss the Government’s Water White Paper.
Among those gathered on January 30 were anglers, canoeists, rowers and river guardians from Communities Against River Pollution (CARP), including high profile campaigner and CARP patron Robert Plant.
The Water White Paper was based on the Cunliffe review of the failing water industry which was published on January 20.
There was unanimous agreement the Water White Paper failed to tackle the fundamental issue affecting our water supply system – the profit driven ownership model since privatisation.
Concerns were raised about decades of failure of regulation leading to polluted rivers, such as raw sewage spilling into the River Severn, which are increasing year-on-year due to lack of investment in the water system.
It was highlighted that, while this was happening, water companies had been able to pay shareholders generous dividends – only by building up huge debt.
Severn Trent PLC reported debts of over £9.5billion in the year to March 2025, up more than £1.4billion from 2024, while paying out over £11billion to shareholders since privatisation in 1989.
During the meeting it was discussed that the White Paper ignored the country’s overwhelming preference for water to be taken back into public ownership and the fact there was a recent national security assessment which identified a high and immediate risk of water insecurity.
Mr Garnier addressed the meeting, explaining how ‘mutualisation’ of the water industry would allow water customers to take back control of regional water companies in a similar model to the CoOp and some building societies, such as Nationwide.
Mr Garnier is Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury and first proposed this idea in a Commons debate on water on March 28, 2025.
He said: “The alternative is mutualisation, where a water company’s customers would own and control the company on their own behalf.”
Mr Plant called for cross party collaboration on Water at Westminster.
Dr Nigel Geary, the meeting organiser for CARP, noted the Lib Dems had picked up on Mr Garnier’s ideas and were now promoting mutual ownership as a better alternative to outright government nationalisation or the 50:50 ownership model recently espoused by the Reform Party.
Mr Garnier agreed he would now promote Water Mutualisation to the policy makers of his own Conservative Party and continue his attendance of Clean Water campaign meetings in Westminster.
Dee Edwards, Chair of CARP and meeting moderator, thanked all participants for their support and input to the meeting and especially to Mr Garnier for his expertise and Mr Plant for his continued help in raising awareness for CARP and associated rivers campaigning bodies.
Anyone wanting to find out more about CARP can email Dee Edwards at: [email protected] and visit: facebook.com/groups/3763323663978320/
