A senior government official is pushing for a complete overhaul of plans to address the crisis at a major water utility, signaling a major shift in approach. The move comes as part of broader efforts to fulfill a pledge to bring key public services under greater state control, with advisers instructed to develop more aggressive solutions. The utility’s long-running failures have made it a critical test of whether the government can deliver on its promises to intervene in struggling essential services. Officials are now being asked to discard existing strategies and propose radical alternatives for restructuring the company.
Exclusive: Utility seen as ‘litmus test’ of PM’s promise to bring ‘essentials of life’ under public controlAndy Burnham has told officials to rip up their plans for how to fix Thames Water and present him with more radical options for what to do with the stricken company.In an early test of his promise to bring “the essentials of life” under public control, the prime minister is urging his advisers to go back to the drawing board and create a new list of policies for the utility. Continue reading...
