# Burnham warned not to water down public control pledge

> Key allies say giving mayors oversight of water firms without financial control falls short of promises to bring utilities under public ownership.
- Title: Burnham warned not to water down public control pledge
- Summary: Key allies say giving mayors oversight of water firms without financial control falls short of promises to bring utilities under public ownership. Oversight…
- Keywords: andy burnham, water industry, public control, nationalization, thames water, mathew lawrence, mark mcvitie, mayors, utilities, sewage spills, england, wales
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/16/mayors-and-other-local-leaders-could-be-given-powers-to-oversee-water-firms
- Published: 2026-09-16T17:43:31+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: andy burnham, water industry, public control, nationalization, thames water, mathew lawrence, mark mcvitie, mayors, utilities, sewage spills, england, wales
## Allies warn against watering down pledge
Key supporters of Andy Burnham are warning the PM not to back down on promises to put water companies under public control.
## Regional oversight plan emerges
The PM is considering creating regional bodies to hold water companies accountable, including questioning bosses on bills and sewage spills.
## Oversight without ownership isn't enough
Mathew Lawrence warns that public oversight without ownership won't provide meaningful control over privatized companies.

> Can they ban dividend payments, stop financial extraction, reduce the cost of capital that determines overall cost, or choose to take the service back into public hands?
## Real power means financial control
Mark McVitie says public control must mean more than scrutiny. The public interest needs to be enforced against monopoly operators.

> Public control has to mean more than public scrutiny.
## Nine regional bodies under consideration
Burnham may create nine regional bodies matching the geography of England and Wales's biggest water companies to set objectives and hold bosses accountable.
## Thames Water decision looms
Thames Water has £18.5bn in debt against £23bn in assets. Burnham may use special administration as a first step toward nationalization.
## Customer complaints surge 48%
Household complaints about water companies jumped 48% year on year, the steepest annual rise in two decades.

> just how dissatisfied many people still are with the state of the water sector and the enormous task water companies face in rebuilding consumer trust
## Key takeaway

Oversight without ownership may give local leaders responsibility for water companies without the power to fundamentally change them.