Ofwat to be replaced with ‘new regulator’ amid Thames Water crisis Water Ofwat, the water watchdog, is expected to be abolished and replaced by a new body next week after facing intense scrutiny over sewage firms and the poor performance of major companies including Thames Water, according to reports. A consultation on the creation of a new regulator is expected to be announced next week after results [...]
Regulators ‘appear unable’ to stop water firms acting unlawfully, MPs warn Transport and infrastructure A group of influential MPs have called for a “low risk, low return” water sector and urged the government to strengthen regulatory powers amid scrutiny over excessive dividends and murky company structures. In a wide-reaching report, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warned that the “financial fragility” of a few large utilities had caused investors to [...]
Government has ‘lost track’ of illegal migrants working in the UK, MPs warn Politics The UK government has lost track of the number of migrants who have overstayed visas and what happens to people who have had their sponsorship withdrawn, senior MPs have warned in a devastating blow to Labour’s bid to restore credibility with voters on migration. Keir Starmer’s government pledged to restore control over UK borders and [...]
Absence of defence spending plan ‘entirely unsatisfactory’ June 20, 2025 The government has been “entirely unsatisfactory” in failing to assess whether their defence spending plans are affordable, a group of senior MPs has said, in a damning assessment of ministers’ transparency. The row comes amid concerns spending on the nuclear deterrent would be higher than first assumed. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government would [...]
Council finances in dire straits, MPs say June 18, 2025 Councils could run out of money in 2026 due to unsustainable book balancing methods, according to parliamentarians. The hike in national insurance contributions (NIC), combined with spending on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), has squeezed local council finances, a new report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has found. Despite Reform’s DOGE campaign, they [...]
‘I tried to warn them, but no one listened’ – one man’s crusade against HS2 June 12, 2025 “History will not be kind to those who, if it is pursued, push through this silly scheme.” It is not far off a decade since Lord Framlingham decided to take drastic action against HS2, the deeply troubled high-speed rail project connecting London and Birmingham. The former commons deputy speaker staged a last-ditch attempt to kill [...]
Sellafield: MPs warn of ‘sub-optimal’ culture at UK’s most hazardous nuclear site June 4, 2025 MPs have warned of a “sub-optimal” culture at the UK’s most hazardous waste site following whistleblower allegations. Sellafield in Cumbria is managed by the Nuclear Decomissioning Authority (NDA) and is responsible for around 85 per cent of the UK’s nuclear waste. It has faced criticism for presiding over safety issues, cost overruns and whistleblower allegations [...]
Tax fraud: HMRC ramps up dawn raids in crackdown May 16, 2025 According to the law firm Pinsent Masons, HMRC carried out an average of 12 property searches each week last year, as the campaign against tax evasion intensified and the government tax body became “increasingly proactive.” In the year ending March 2024, the government tax body carried out 648 dawn raids, up from 623 raids in 2022/23. [...]
Parliament warns against extending Premiership Rugby Covid-19 loans April 2, 2025 A top parliamentary committee has insisted Premiership Rugby clubs who are “financially unviable five years post-pandemic” should not have their Covid-19 loans extended. The damning report from the Public Accounts Committee – an influential group of backbench MPs who probe state spending – singled out the process in which £124m of loans funded by the [...]
VAT on private school fees to hammer ‘crisis-hit’ special needs provision January 23, 2025 Rachel Reeves’s controversial Budget decision to impose VAT on private school fees will hit the most vulnerable special educational needs students hardest, an expert has warned. The Chancellor confirmed at the Autumn Budget that fees are set to be taxed 20 per cent, which the government claims will benefit the Treasury to the tune of [...]