I met with Thames Water bosses at their Reading HQ to demand urgent action to deal with customers’ problems and improve their service.
I was joined by two Labour colleagues; Will Stone MP for Swindon North and Peter Lamb MP for Crawley. I had gathered the testimonies and voices of 27 Labour MP colleagues across the Thames Water region to make a series of specific requests on the company.
We called on Thames Water to resolve the most serious cases where they have failed customers, to halt their payments of bonuses to top executives, and to drop their complaint to Ofwat requesting leniency over their sewage fines.
It’s clear to everyone that Thames Water isn’t working properly. In my recent resident survey, over 150 residents shared many examples of poor customer service and bad maintenance with me, including leaks, burst pipes, and water damage. If you’d like to make your views heard, please fill in the survey here or email in.
Beyond customer service failures, we face wider environmental issues. Years of underinvestment by the water companies have left our rivers polluted and our waterways increasingly unsafe. In 2024 Thames Water recorded almost 300,000 hours of raw sewage discharged, up 50% from 2023.
On top of this, Thames Water still paid £2.5 million of bonuses to senior executives in April this year.
I found the meeting productive, and the officials we engaged with were keen to make improvements. I was pleased that the company committed to coming into Parliament for a scrutiny meeting with concerned MPs, as it is vital they answer questions transparently.
This is the first meeting of many I hope to have, to scrutinise their infrastructure plans – and I am committed to holding them to account for their progress.
I am glad the government is cleaning up the water industry. Recently, I voted through new laws banning water companies from paying out future bonuses to executives who preside over environmental failure.
In the future, water companies must pass strict tests on environmental delivery and customer service before bonuses can be paid. The government is being clear with water bosses that failing customers and polluting rivers will no longer be acceptable, and in the worst cases will be met with criminal penalties for bosses.
Ultimately, the water and sewage infrastructure in the UK must be upgraded, and this responsibility sits with each water company. A lack of investment in the water system infrastructure causes leaks and pushes bills up.
When we return to Parliament in the autumn, the government will be consulting on its response to the Independent Water Commission’s report (the “Cunliffe Report” and preparing further legislation to cover the water sector. After speaking out in the House of
Commons Chamber about the problems of Thames Water, I’ve secured a meeting with ministers to discuss next steps – and I will make sure to continue my scrutiny.
