Ayoub Khan

Ayoub Khan

Independent — Birmingham Perry Barr

Speaking in the House of Commons on 14 September 2026

Debate

Water Sector: Public Ownership

Contribution

Absolutely. By way of example, how can an organisation receive a four-star rating when it is performing so badly? Privatisation was sold on the promise that private capital would deliver investment and relieve pressure on the public purse, but with Thames Water amassing £20 billion in debt and due a Government bailout, that is clearly not the case anymore. Around the world, 90% of water is under public ownership, and yet 100% of ours is privately owned. It is not always wise to follow the crowd, but this is clearly something that we have gotten wrong. My constituents are not asking Parliament to pretend that public ownership has no cost; they know it has a price. All they are asking us is to find out whether the price can really be greater than chronic underinvestment, rising bills, sewage-filled rivers, flooded homes and a system in which the public carry the risk while private investors take all the reward.

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