13 Nov 2026
The Financial Times has just reported that Thames Water’s creditors (US hedge funds) want to propose a deal to take over the utility. As part of the deal, they’re effectively offering a £1 billion bribe in return for being allowed to dump sewage freely until 2030!
Regardless of where you live, if Thames Water gets permission to ignore the laws to dump sewage, it will set a new low precedent for pollution in rivers and seas throughout England and Wales, and this will also impact Scotland.
Andy Burnham promised to *reverse 40 years of neoliberalism*. He criticised Thatcher’s ideological privatisations. He said that for Thames Water, public ownership is “what should be done”.
We need all hands on deck right now to STOP Thames Water being handed over to US hedge funds.
If each of us does one of the following, we can raise the temperature on Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Environment Secretary Angela Eagle and force them to BLOCK THE US HEDGE FUND TAKEOVER OF THAMES WATER.
- If you’re a member of the Labour Party, can you write to Burnham as a member? Can you ask your local branch to pass a motion saying no to Thames Water’s dodgy deal and calling for special administration?
Here is the email for emailing the leader of the Labour Party: leader@labour.org.uk
Here is a draft motion that Labour Party branches can pass to oppose a deal to hand Thames Water to US hedge funds: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qN5P41OsVsd1xEHgin5q7ILn4aTsXjRLhLFNTDebRB8/edit?usp=sharing
- If you're a member of any other political party, can you ask your local branch to contact us about organising a local protest to pressure your MP to oppose this deal?
Your branch can contact us at: info@weownit.org.uk
Or your local branch can sign up here to organise an action: https://forms.gle/9P6dgP5jc4saA5hdA
- If you’re a member of a trade union, can you ask your branch to pass a motion and write to Andy Burnham and Environment Secretary Angela Eagle?
Here is a draft motion that union branches can pass to oppose a deal to hand Thames Water to US hedge funds: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Sui2qqlDaJHqliL0YOFMSFOTG8sunfblbQLNX7MEcdE/edit?usp=sharing
- If you’re part of a local campaign group, can you organise a letter to your MP or a protest against the deal, saying NO to a new low for sewage in your area?
Sign up here to let us know if your local campaign group would like to organise an action: https://forms.gle/Y5kVom2EXb5yLdtW8
- If you’re in the Thames Water region, can you write to your local newspaper exposing this deal and demanding that your MP call on Burnham to reject it?
You can find your local paper by typing in the name of your town here: https://www.localnewsmap.co.uk/
On your local paper's website, find and click "Contact Us" to find the email address of the editor
- If you use social media, can you make a post or a story on whichever platform you use, opposing any deal to hand Thames Water to US hedge funds and make sure to tag Andy Burnham so that he or his team can see your post
Andy Burnham's social media handles are:
Facebook - @BurnhamGM
Twitter - @andyburnham
Instagram - @andy.burnham
Bluesky - @andyburnham.bsky.social
- If this situation makes you furious, who can you ask to take a stand, with a powerful email in your own words? Your local councillor? Your MP?
Find your MP's email here: https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP
Find your local councillor's email here: https://www.writetothem.com/
- If you have family or friends who care about whether this country is run for people, or just for profit, can you ask them to sign up to We Own It so they can help ramp up the pressure at this crucial time?
Copy and send them this link to use for signing up: https://weownit.org.uk/people-not-profit
This is the time to pull out all the stops. If you have connections, resources, ideas or just simply ANGER you can use for this fight, we would be incredibly grateful if you could join us in springing into action.
Your frustration is powerful. Your action could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
