This is unbelievable democracyforsale.substack.com/p/revealed-g... - ThreadSky

peterstefanovic.bsky.social • 90 days ago

This is unbelievable

https://democracyforsale.substack.com/p/revealed-government-gave-450m-south-west-water-subsidy-water-pollution

Comments

eagleneedle.bsky.social•90 days ago

Absolute digrace.

ifaustus.bsky.social•90 days ago

This isn’t some secret gotcha, it’s appeared on our bills for years. It isn’t a subsidy to SWW, it’s a payment from the government to customers because SWW customers have much higher bills due to the incredibly large coastline. While you can debate the cost, this is appallingly bad journalism.

ifaustus.bsky.social•90 days ago

What the subsidy does, though, is show the sham of private ownership of water. If nationally run we would all spread the cost of managing our national coastline equally, not have to rely on the government protecting a particular region from punitive bills. Frankly ridiculous situation.

thegreenwichian.bsky.social•90 days ago

It would be unbelievable if it wasn't so effing believable.

maggsh247.bsky.social•90 days ago

Scandalous. This is not what our money is for. Social money propping up failing and/or corrupt capitalist companies who are ripping is off 😡

maggsh247.bsky.social•90 days ago

ripping us off

ladycharliesays.bsky.social•90 days ago

There's no and/or about it. It is AND.

gemmasometimes.bsky.social•90 days ago

This was the tories btw. labour just stopped the subsidy.

maggsh247.bsky.social•90 days ago

Failing capitalism needs to be allowed to fail. Otherwise it's socialism without any benefits for ordinary people.

suesymcox.bsky.social•90 days ago

Wow! How can this be?

bmmw.bsky.social•90 days ago

You cannot make it up

andrew442.bsky.social•90 days ago

Misleading headline, the CONSERVATIVE government made the payments Labour are stopping them

pornofoleyartist.bsky.social•90 days ago

If Labour wishes to stop an eventual takeover of government by the worst elements of Reform and the Conservatives they will have to advocate for the cessation of subsidies that create nothing but profit for the few while so many are living with their existential needs unmet.

cornishcaveman.bsky.social•90 days ago

This is misleading. The money goes to subsidise bills for customers, not directly to SWW. We who live in the south West have among the highest bills in the country with the lowest wages. This £50 is a massive help to some people.

oldplodder.bsky.social•90 days ago

But SWW are still taking 1.5£bn out of the company, which could have been used to further reduce bills or be invested in infrastructure.

cornishcaveman.bsky.social•90 days ago

That's not the headline though is it?

blueeyedjurist.bsky.social•90 days ago

Corruption has become the new UK common currency.

tynegal.bsky.social•90 days ago

Not from the Tories it isn’t.

aglimpseoflondon.bsky.social•90 days ago

Criminal!

tsunami65.bsky.social•90 days ago

Sadly, it's all too believable

rand0lf-rand0lf.bsky.social•90 days ago

Brilliant article, incredible.

devrawiz.bsky.social•90 days ago

It's obvious to the meanest intelligence that water should not have been privatised. All that has happened that we, the helpless users of water, essential to life, have been fleeced by the water companies and then by our governments, who've supported them. Ideal candidates for nationalisation.

jefftullin.bsky.social•90 days ago

'Although the £450million subsidy South West Water received was renewed annually for over a decade, the new water minister Emma Hardy has said the government will not continue with the policy beyond next April.'

Always read more than the headlines, people!

jefftullin.bsky.social•90 days ago

'government' being used in an interesting manner here. When was this exactly???

littleoldlady56.bsky.social•90 days ago

It's quite disingenuous, actually. You have to read the text quite closely to realise that Labour is cancelling the subsidy (which is awarded annually, so they won't do it till next April), and that the other subsidy of £2.4 million was awarded under the Tories.

quantisedphysics.bsky.social•90 days ago

Absolutely ridiculous

sarahc15.bsky.social•90 days ago

It doesn't matter how much they get fined. It's too late by then....the shite is in the sea!

davecbannerman.bsky.social•90 days ago

This ☝🏻 is very true.

mikethered77.bsky.social•90 days ago

The headline is deeply misleading as it implies the present government is responsible. Many won't see beyond that. The Daily Mail would be proud.

rubblechops.bsky.social•90 days ago

scotland50.bsky.social•90 days ago

An outrageous state of affairs, though clearly the fault of the previous government.

The new Labour Government should either claw back that 450 million in full or give the other water companies a pro-rata grant.

katyotter.bsky.social•90 days ago

Unbelievable but not. We should be able to get this back.

jackindevon.bsky.social•90 days ago

For years, customers paid the highest bills in the country. Primarily because the SWW area had the longest coastline and so had to pay to maintain blue flag beaches for holidaymakers.
Finallygovt recognised this and agreed to subsidise bills by £50 a year.
Separately Ofwat determined the price ...

jackindevon.bsky.social•90 days ago

... they could charge customers - from which £50 was deducted and paid by go ernment.
Our subsidy was right!
What was wrong was how Ofwat set the price and their lack of control over dividends etc.
Dividends weren't paid by SWW but by their owner Pennon. A crafty way to avoid scrutiny by Ofwat.

whombax.bsky.social•90 days ago

It's all just one big scam.

dutchbritishjulie.bsky.social•90 days ago

🤬🤬🤬

evies13.bsky.social•90 days ago

It is entirely believable.

elgarscello.bsky.social•90 days ago

I’ve said it before and no doubt I’ll say it again. The government should re-nationalise these companies with no compensation to the shareholders of these companies. They’ve had plenty of our money, achieved nothing for the environment and upped our bills at will. A national disgrace

timlagor.bsky.social•90 days ago

What's unbelievable about it?

gill8-brian.bsky.social•90 days ago

Which government?

freddies.bsky.social•90 days ago

Surely ,Public ownership must be on the agenda now !

sherwood1.bsky.social•90 days ago

One for @fergalsharkey

davecbannerman.bsky.social•90 days ago

Is anyone actually surprised by these shenanigans now?

Not belittling it - I just never get to use the word ‘shenanigans’.

oldplodder.bsky.social•90 days ago

I am a South West Water Co. Customer.
I am disgusted, but not surprised.

Whose fault is this?

The Conservative Party who set up the whole privatisation system.

thesaxbys.org•90 days ago

Important to make clear in your post: the Tory government……

mrschockers.bsky.social•90 days ago

And yet so believable

welshred.bsky.social•90 days ago

Which Government are you referring to ?

romamay.bsky.social•90 days ago

Obviously the Tories if over the last decade

davecbannerman.bsky.social•90 days ago

Does it matter? They’re all turning out to be as bad as eachother 🤦🏻‍♂️

sinurata.bsky.social•90 days ago

It was over the last decade. So essentially the Tories. And Labour have said the subsidy will not continue beyond April (i.e. the financial year).

evies13.bsky.social•90 days ago

It does matter.
This is an English issue.
Though it impacts on us all.
Devolved Governments have managed water very much better.

avazig.bsky.social•90 days ago

Nonsense

davecbannerman.bsky.social•90 days ago

Not arguing 🤷🏻‍♂️ Labour isn’t Labour anymore and the Conservatives have always been abysmal.

avazig.bsky.social•90 days ago

But to say that they're as bad as each other is cheap both-siding. Neither is great, but one party is horrible, even by international objective standards.

davecbannerman.bsky.social•90 days ago

Oh no, one is definitely worse I agree there.

littleoldlady56.bsky.social•90 days ago

Very good question. There is a contrast between the non-specific headline 'Government' and the information in the article that mentions Labour is cancelling a subsidy which was put in place by the Tories.

fredfredson.bsky.social•90 days ago

And how much of that went straight to shareholders?

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