Labour mayors rebel against Burnham's water plan over fears they will take the blame for sewage and sky-high bills

From the Newshound archive · first published 11 October 2026.

Andy Burnham is facing resistance from mayors around the country over his flagship proposal to give them greater control of water companies, with local leaders warning that the plan will put them personally "in the firing line" with voters over sewage failures and soaring bills. At the Labour conference, Burnham pledged to abolish Margaret Thatcher's "ideological ban on public ownership" of water companies and arm mayors with new powers to hold water firms to account. Several mayors are concerned about the "political cost" of being held accountable for company failures beyond their control. The pushback comes as Burnham already faces criticism from motorists, garages and EV drivers over a growing number of cost pressures.

Burnham told water is "a symbol of what has gone wrong with Britain" — shareholders never losing while the public picks up the sewage bill.

A strengthened Water Bill is to begin a "10-year journey" to public control, shutting down the loopholes that have allowed excessive bonuses to be paid.

Separately, drivers face a possible triple whammy of higher car costs, rising fuel prices and a widening EV charging gap under his watch.