The long-awaited Independent Water Commission report has landed, promising to overhaul how water companies are regulated across England and Wales. It recommends scrapping Ofwat and replacing it with a single, stronger regulator with new powers over pollution, investment and corporate governance. On paper, it sounds like progress.
But for communities like Hastings, which has faced sewage discharges, drinking water outages and town centre flooding, the question is not just whether regulators talk to each other – it’s whether they can truly stand up to private water giants like Southern Water. So far, there’s little evidence of that.
🗣 “It’s putting lipstick on a pig,” said Surfers Against Sewage in response to the report, pointing out that it tinkers with a broken system rather than replacing it.
🎧 Cllr Becca Horn: “How do we explain this to residents?”
Cllr Becca Horn, has been at the forefront of the national conversation on water reform. Speaking on both BBC Sussex and BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine Show, she made the case for urgent, democratic change.
On BBC Sussex, Becca responded to the report and to yet another weekend of raw sewage discharges off the Hastings coast:
“It’s welcome that regulators will work more closely – but we’re still trying to fix a broken model. These companies have labyrinthine financial structures that hide profits, avoid tax, and siphon public money to shareholders. That’s what needs changing.”
She continued:
“How do we explain this to people whose bills have gone up by 50 percent? They are still fighting for compensation, still dealing with flood damage – and meanwhile the Southern Water CEO is pocketing three quarters of a million pounds. It makes trust impossible.”
🎙️ Listen to the BBC Sussex interview (21 July 2025):
Later that day, Becca was invited onto the Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2, reaching a national audience with the same message:
“This is not just a coastal issue. The water system is failing across the country. Until we take it back into public hands, we are going to keep seeing leaks, outages, pollution and rising bills – and a total lack of trust.”
🎙️ Listen to the full interview here:
Where the Report Falls Short
The Commission’s terms of reference deliberately excluded public ownership. Instead, it proposes tighter reporting rules, minor structural reform, and asking the public to pay more for investment.
🟢 Adrian Ramsay MP, co-leader of the Green Party, said:
“Expecting a new regulator to fix the water industry is like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. The only real way forward is public ownership – to end the siphoning of money into executive pay and dividends, and redirect it into stopping sewage spills and fixing leaks.”
Hastings: Leading the Call for Change
Hastings Borough Council, under Green leadership, has declared a Nature Emergency and passed motions demanding an end to sewage dumping. Our Green councillors are pressing Southern Water to improve transparency, fund local infrastructure, and compensate residents fairly.
“But without control,” says Becca Horn, “we’re left pleading. The system itself is broken. Water must be brought back into public hands.”
A Fair Way Forward
Public ownership is not unaffordable. The UK is not a poor country. As Becca said:
“We have more billionaires than ever. Just 50 families own half the wealth in this country. We need to tax assets and invest in the things that matter – clean water, thriving rivers, healthy seas.”
The Green Party will continue to fight for:
âś… Public ownership of water
âś… An end to sewage dumping
âś… Proper compensation for affected communities
âś… A water system run for people and planet, not profit