Thames Water in the dark as Burnham mulls embattled utility’s future July 17, 2026 Thames Water and the group of creditors vying to buy it have had no engagement with Andy Burnham’s team as the incoming prime minister weighs whether to take full public control of the struggling utility, City AM understands. Burnham said earlier this year that Thames Water should be nationalised and has repeatedly called for greater [...]
Thames Water to run out of money by end of the year July 15, 2026 Thames Water is set to run out of cash by the end of the year as the UK’s largest private utility company struggles to secure a finalised rescue deal. The embattled water firm – which serves around 16m customers, mostly in London and the South East – said in its latest financial report that it [...]
Exclusive: Reynolds never met Thames Water investors before rejecting rescue deal July 1, 2026 Environment secretary Emma Reynolds never met the investors behind a proposed Thames Water rescue package before slapping down their deal out of hand last month, City AM can reveal. Reynolds, who is the minister responsible for water policy, has left officials in her department to meet representatives of a large creditors’ group, which includes investment [...]
Public markets, not the state, can fix the water sector June 30, 2026 Andy Burnham will likely put renationalising utilities back on the table, but that’s not the way to turn on the investment taps, says Rupert Hargreaves The arrival of Andy Burnham in Westminster has once again reignited the debate around the future of the UK’s key infrastructure. The Guardian has reported that Burnham’s allies have talked [...]
Mark Kleinman: Share price slump moves Steiner closer to Ocado checkout June 25, 2026 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his City AM column Share price slump moves Steiner closer to Ocado checkout Five words might have given it away: “Ocado confirms that the CEO and the board continually engage in long-term succession planning and regularly engage with potential candidates,” said the somewhat [...]
Burnham’s new chief of staff ran City firm advising Thames Water and rival Heathrow bidder June 24, 2026 Andy Burnham’s likely chief of staff will move to Downing Street from a lobbying firm that counts Thames Water and the rival bidder for Heathrow’s third runway as clients, just as ministers mull decisions that could decide both organisations’ fate. James Purnell is widely tipped to become Burnham’s most senior right-hand man should the Makerfield [...]
Thames Water is Burnham’s first big test: will he do what’s right or what’s popular? June 23, 2026 Thames Water will run out of money in a matter of months, but the government rejected a plan to save it. Now, Burnham’s talk of renationalisation is already scaring off investors and reducing the tax revenues available to fun public services, says Natascha Engel Now that Keir Starmer has announced his departure, the question is [...]
Taxpayers will foot the bill for Burnham’s renationalisation whims June 22, 2026 Nationalisation will simply have the Treasury assume private spending commitments with little knowledge of how to run these businesses, thereby increasing the burden on taxpayers, says Valentin Boboc For the first time in nine years, Andy Burnham is back in Westminster. With his eyes on the top job and a year rife with debate about [...]
Thames Water on cusp of public ownership after ‘weak’ deal June 16, 2026 Thames Water is on the cusp of being placed in temporary public ownership after the government raised concern with a proposed £10bn rescue by its lenders. It was reported last night that the environment secretary Emma Reynolds had outlined a number of concerns to the industry regulator Ofwat ahead of a final decision on the [...]
Thames Water, energy grid, rent prices: Burnham drums up public control agenda June 13, 2026 Andy Burnham will press for an agenda of public control over water companies, the national energy grid and government procurement regulation if he becomes Prime Minister. Reports on Saturday indicated that the Manchester mayor, who is standing as Labour’s candidate in the Makerfield by-election before a likely bid to become the party’s leader, would push [...]