The Green Party has called for Yorkshire Water to be taken into public ownership after it was revealed the company’s boss was given an extra £1.3 million through an offshore parent company, despite previously claiming it would “not be appropriate” to accept the payment on top of her salary.
The revelation comes after a string of controversies, including a 41% hike in customer bills, a £40 million fine from Ofwat for excessive sewage spills, and Yorkshire Water becoming one of four water providers to impose a hosepipe ban.
Last week, Labour MPs and Mayors expressed outrage at the payout, but the Greens say that’s not enough.
Councillor Caroline Whitaker (Craven Ward) said, “With Labour now in government, they have the power to fix the problem – but their current plans don’t go far enough.
“They say they want to sort out the water industry, but what they’re proposing won’t fix the root problem.
We’ve had years of rising bills, sewage in our rivers, and now a hosepipe ban – all while executives pocket millions. The only real solution is to run water for the benefit of the public, not for profit, and that means taking it back into public hands.”
The Green Party has recently highlighted that the current hosepipe ban is a direct result of Yorkshire Water’s failure to maintain its network.
Councillor Celia Hickson (Tong Ward), who has campaigned for public ownership for years, said, “Privatisation has failed. People are told to limit their water use while leaks go unfixed for months or even years.
“There’s been years of underinvestment, with leaks left running and repairs delayed, while money has gone on bonuses and dividends instead. At the same time, bosses and shareholders get huge rewards.
“The government could change this now – it should bring water companies back into public ownership so they are run properly, invest in fixing their problems, and plan for the future.”
“The system we have now puts private profit ahead of clean, reliable water,” added Cllr Whitaker. “Labour must stop talking about change and start delivering it.”