This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 94%. (I'm a bot)

> Foreign investment firms, private equity, pension funds and businesses lodged in tax havens own more than 70% of the water industry in England, according to research by the Guardian.

> The complex web of ownership is revealed as the public and some politicians increasingly call for the industry to be held to account for sewage dumping, leaks and water shortages.

> The research reveals at least 72% of the industry is controlled by firms in 17 countries, while UK firms own 10%. Ownership of 82% of the water industry was traced overall.

Extended Summary | FAQ | Feedback | Top keywords: water^#1 company^#2 investment^#3 own^#4 firm^#5

So how are they planning to hold these foreign entities accountable?

isnt that the fault of english investment firms not seeing that their own water industry is a better investment than foreign companies see it?

I'd guess more the fault of shorter term investing.

Need to put in laws that result in massively crippling fines, if they get little to no profits with out maintaining the infrastructure they will either fix or sell.

I was living in England in 1989-90 and saw ads on TV for the privatisation of water. Even then I thought "this isn't a good idea". Thankfully we've not done that (yet) in Australia although we've flogged off everything else.

Seize assets in National interest...

This comment is very dystopian.

A few more liberal terms and it'll happen, and if it doesn't happen on the first attempt; they'll just try again next time.

Much like how they try to kill off HECS and TAFEs every time they take power.

They run on being better economic managers but they seem more like short term investors pumping and dumping the entirety of the country they're supposedly there to serve.

If you want to feel sick to your stomach, check out this piece arguing how many "investment" opportunities are currently held at bay due "politicisation" of water.

It's like vultures learned to type.

Water is going to be the next oil. Is here

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When greed meets stupidity anything is possible.

Ofwat tells the water companies what to do and how much they can charge bill payers. Of course a lot of people don’t like the way they do that but if the government wanted to change their mandate they could do that very easily.

It's the fault of Conservative governments selling state assets to their friends for pennies on the pound. The resulting lack of investment is why our beaches are polluted and raw sewage is being pumped in to our rivers.

If you want an example of why private companies are the wrong people to own and run public services then look at the UK. From water, to public transport, to health care, to electricity, to oil and gas, to post, it's one monumental cluster fuck set up to line the pockets of shareholders with tax payer's money.

and no change from the last time this was reported

and ANYONE is surprised, since privatisation started in the UK

were you expecting all those shares to be bought and owned by BRITISH citrizens?

non story

There aren't trade agreements that prohibit they sort of protectionism?

Imagine thinking that entities with the least amount of money are to blame for problems under capitalism.

Typical shortsighted neolib policy

I think it's realititorian, my good man.

Begun, the water wars have.