Familiar Pisor a rich and fairly stable country, we Bad to prepare for climate trembling. We will reply to Important crisis as we are not warned. Lessons from previous disasters do not know, errors are recycled, failures that are very deep that they come to know the system.
This is not due to a national attitude disability, but due to a government ideological disability: any citizens are shared, that public measures failed only. Until this point, our problems should be discussed in the private sector. As the drought Rolls around the country Once again, the private water system in England guarantees an unreasonable response.
Nothing weakens the strength of the country’s climate of more private ownership of our water system, and the drought of political ambition is not revealed as refuse to reject it. Once again we have found ourselves to be compatible with the same crisis crisis and political crisis.
Climate disruption is the result of a global failure to respond to private capital power. Labor response to its effects reflects the same tifidity. While consecutive governments stand and watch, we comprehensher the water companies. Current administration seems to be ready to go to any length not to exceed this standard.
Margaret argaret promised that the water privacy can provide higher investments. But a Detailed analysis Through the Public Service Union Unonation it is important that you see, between 1990 and 2023, no net investment. “Investors” spent £ 3.6bn purchase in parts of 1989 and 1990, but March 2023 total equity equity in the entire water sector costs £ 3.4bn. In fact Terms (take account inflation), it means a 60% reduction in shareholder capital.
At that time, shareholders have been able to take £ 77.6bn (in 2023 prices) in divisions from water companies. Add it to the retraction of the equity, and you know that they have pierced £ 82.4bn in public assets. Most of this currency is obtained by loading companies with debt. Instead of borrowing to pay for infrastructure improvement, water companies borrowed to pay for dividends. They know that if business one day becomes unpredictable as a result, it is the problem with others. In the end, As we know now In case of water in Thames, this is done our problem. Like water companies put their channels in rivers, they also dropped their public debts. The country has become their dustbin.
Within 36 years, these companies act as dispensers of free money to their owners, Most foreignerssome of these are foreign states. Indeed, the only government is not allowed to own the supply of water in England is the UK. They need to see us as a total suckers, given our national infrastructure, land and possessions … for nothing else.
Any investment funded is not by Sharedholders but their customers, through our water bills. it rose at the same time by 360%, more than twice in total inflation rate. The increase since easily. Every year, we pay £ 2.3bn more for our water and sewage bills than we want when suppliers are publicly owned, according to the University of Greenwich research. The long bills, impossible debts, dirty streams, minimal investments and no strength: that is the gift of privatization.
One of the consequences of this model of asset-stripping is that drops of rates remain embarrassing high. While the Hosepipe restrictions are currently indicated around the country tend to save between 3% and 7% of water we can use if not, 19% of the water-filled water Lost by leaking. Compare it with public public owned system, having lost 4%. For the same factor, no reservoir have been completed here since 1992.
The management of the need has been as hopelesswith the result, with no further action, water The need exceeds the supply By 2034, as supplies can be critical, they force them to be allowed get more From our rivers and aquifers, with good effect on wildlife quality and water.
For similar reasons, they resistance to imposing Hosepipe restrictions until the last possible moment. It seems that this decision to water companies, with their perverted incentives and conflicts of interest, rather than taken by public bodies; But this is another result of public evil, private good ideology. Even Senior Toly MPs expressed annoyance That government does not only decide what to do; But that’s the system they build, work as designed.
Regarding the regulators, they are also useless in the design. Entitled, intended to protect public interest, gained full-size regulation obtained, as Circulate the senior staff Between water companies and the agency to think of their account. Environmental agency, often down and executed, nearly detached Its water inspects in five years to 2023: a classic example of deregulation by stealing. Rules can remain in the book of putomal, but without monitoring and implementation can also be deleted.
In its entire history, the privatization of the UK water is not very indepar. In 1986, one year after the owner prophesied the policy, A poll is shown 71% opposite and only 21% in favor. Ever since, the opposition rigids only: a poll one year leads to reveal that Only 8% of people believe Water should still be operated in the private sector, while 82% wants to see these renationalised. But two months later, the government It rules. Why? Because, according to the Secretary of the movement, Steve Reed, is too much to spend.
Really? art Analysis series Show that the government can subnationalize these companies for Next to the leftnot least because their true value is Under zero. There are some administrative costs, but they are likely to be smaller than the annual cost of maintaining the current system.
It’s a simple test: Does the government continue to interest in the country, or in interest in private capital? It’s not a hard choice for labor, however, like many such trials, it makes it work. Why? Because it is afraid of any scale that can be understood even the most paratitic and extracted capital forms. However, weird no qualifications about keeping others away from us.
George Monbiot is a columnist in Guardian
On Tuesday 16 September, George Monbiot, Mikaeela Loach and other special guests discussed the force of climate launch, living in Barbican in London and live in the world. Book tickets HERE or to Guardian.live
