As long time collaborators and close allies, I was pleased to host the launch of the final report of the People’s Commission on Water in Parliament.

This report is timely because water is a live issue for millions of people.

It touches on people’s lives in a way that few other issues do.

The Government’s own ‘independent’ review – the Cunliffe Review – was severely limited from the get go, constrained by only looking at tweaks that could be made to the privatised system.

It refused to look at other solutions.

By stark contrast, after consulting with members of the public and community groups the People’s Commission has incorporated ownership model into its findings.

There are three key issues which make water so relevant:

• A crisis of democracy, including a lack of economic democracy, is driving the rise of authoritarian populism. People feel they have no control. Our water is being polluted by corporations which are ransacking this public resource for private gain.

• The cost of living – privatisation has incentivised price gouging and extractionism, which is impacting peoples’ lives through higher bills are declining service quality. That’s immediate and obvious in water bills which are sky-rocketing above inflation, with clear evidence this is funding shareholder payouts while water infrastructure creaks.

• The climate crisis – we are facing more extreme weather, which will mean both higher incidences of drought and flooding. A publicly-managed water system with strong democratic oversight is needed so that this resource is managed in the public interest.

By tackling the crisis in our water system by seriously considering new ownership models, the Government has a way to reconnect with the electorate that voted for it, and who had voted for real change.

Read the executive summary of the People’s Commission on Water.