Margaret Mullane MP joins calls on Thames Water to improve services

At a meeting with Thames Water bosses, MPs presented the company with a letter co-signed by 27 Labour MP colleagues in the Thames Water area. The group put forward a set of demands to the struggling water company.

The MPs’ demands for action follow customers facing bill increases of up to 50%, continued river and waterway sewage pollution, and severe customer service failures – all while continuing to pay out millions in bonuses to bosses despite government action to prevent them.

The group called on Thames Water to:

1. Claw back the £2.5m of bonuses paid to senior executives in April and scrap plans to pay the same package again in December, and instead reinvest the money into water infrastructure.

2. Drop their complaint to Ofwat requesting leniency over sewage fines. The group strongly welcome the Environment Secretary’s commitment that all water companies will be treated equally and under the same rules; Thames Water is no exception.

3. Commit to coming into Parliament by the end of this year to meet with MPs regarding their constituency casework.

Dagenham and Rainham MP, Margaret Mullane said “My constituents are being asked to foot the bill for Thames Water’s failures, with the average bill going up by 31% this year, all while the company pays out millions to executives."

“I joined Labour colleagues in signing this letter because Thames Water needs to be held to account for their persistent failings. My constituents deserve answers and I hope that increased scrutiny on the company from Parliament will help.”