Raw, free-flowing sewage seems apt after 14 years of Tory rule

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Neoliberalism and market mechanisms have no place in the provision of something so vital as water (Reuters)

Privatised water companies dumped raw sewage into England’s waterways for 3.6 million hours in 2023, which is up from 1.7 million in 2022.

Since they were privatised in 1989, the water companies have paid their shareholders £1.4bn in dividends while investment in infrastructure has gone down by 15 per cent. There is not one river in England that isn’t contaminated with sewage.

Things are so bad that rowers taking part in Saturday’s Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race have been advised not to enter the Thames after high levels of E.coli were found in the river – the direct consequence of the sewage discharge.