17 Sep 2026
'As I run through my speech, the hon. Gentleman will find a theme of strong support for public ownership of the water sector throughout. We absolutely must look at that option.' (Paul Davies, Colne Valley)
‘This wasn’t just an inconvenience. For many, it was a crisis’ (Feryal Clarke, Enfield North)
On Monday MPs from across the political spectrum gathered in parliament to talk about the future of our water system.
They were responding to Windrush Against Sewage Pollution co-founder Ash Smith’s petition, calling for a referendum on public ownership of our water sector.
They debated for nearly 3 hours. 66 MPs spoke. You can view a selection of clips from their speeches at the end of this page.
They spoke about the destruction caused by sewage pollution in their constituencies; households struggling with ever-increasing bills; and the dangers that our polluting water system poses to public health.
And MANY of them called for water to be brought into public hands. MPs - many of them for the first time - are now making it clear exactly what needs to be done to fix our water crisis. You can check who spoke, who attended, who was in favour of the motion and who opposed, below.
At the end of the debate, Emma Hardy - the Minister for Water - was forced to admit that ‘for decades, the essential services that underpin daily life, including water, have suffered from over-privatisation’.
It was a huge moment in the campaign for public ownership of water. And it happened because of:
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Over 200,000 brilliant supporters who signed the petition for the debate
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Nearly 7000 of you emailed your MP directly, asking them to attend.
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Over 4,500 of you sent our briefing directly to your MP, arming them with the facts about what needs to happen next for Thames Water.
THANK YOU.
The impact of this debate is far-reaching. Because of your work to make this debate happen, MPs have been forced to learn about the undeniable case for public ownership of water and the Minister has been confronted with the strength of MPs’ feelings on this issue.
What’s more, press coverage of the debate in the Mirror and the BBC means that your arguments for public ownership are being shared far and wide.
And it couldn’t come at a more important time.
Right now - in the lead-up to the Autumn budget at the end of October - Andy Burnham’s new government is making the key decisions about what happens next for water.
Minister Hardy said that the recent change in Prime Minister means that ‘more things are suddenly on the table’.
You can be part of ensuring that MPs have the facts on public ownership of water. If you haven’t already, take 2 mins to send our latest Thames Water briefing directly to your MP.
