water industry
Southern Water Data Tampering Charges Surface After a Decade
Charges against the ex-Southern Water boss expose how regulators accepted falsified compliance data for years while discharges continued.
corporate accountability
4 articles
PPE Medpro
The PPE Medpro Judgment: When Winning in Court Means Losing £122 Million
David Conn's investigation into the PPE Medpro scandal reveals how Britain's institutions have been structured to ensure that certain individuals can profit from public money without facing consequences. The recent high court judgment ordering PPE Medpro to repay £122 million for defective medical gowns highlights a system where winning in court often means losing money for taxpayers.
Water Industry
When Failure Pays: The Water Industry's Reward System
Five English water companies have successfully argued for higher bills to cover infrastructure failures they were supposed to maintain. The Competition and Markets Authority approved an additional £556 million in charges, on top of already planned 36% increases over five years. This comes as serious pollution incidents by water firms jumped 60% in a single year, highlighting a troubling pattern of privatized monopolies profiting from public goods while failing to deliver essential services.
Water Crisis
The Sewage State: How England's Water Crisis Exposes Total Institutional Collapse
English water companies dumped raw sewage into rivers and seas at record-breaking levels in 2024, with serious pollution incidents surging 60% in a single year. While politicians promised a crackdown on water pollution, the reality is stark: 75 serious incidents poisoned waterways last year, up from 47 in 2023.