Ford invest in new factories so they can meet demand, sell more cars and make more money. Thames Water weren't going to make more money by investing huge amounts in infrastructure upgrades to increase capacity. Because the cost of water bills is capped.
They did make it work as agreed. The agreement was to run it on behalf of the government at the status quo level and invest to modernise and build efficiency at a tactical local level. Strategic investment was not part of the deal.
Because similarly to how private rail companies are fined when services are late, water companies are fined for sewerage discharges. That doesnt change the reality of why trains are late and sewerage gets discharged - the crumbling/aging architecture the infrastructures are built on the modernisation of which is outside the remit and ability of private operators to remedy.
They made it work to the tune of starting out with zero debt to now running in the red at £17bn of debt (Thames). Furthermore, to your assertion of a 11m increase in population, let's say 3m of that live in the Thames water area...then I have 3m more customers paying me and I've not had to provide any major structural upgrades ie just plumbing them in to existing systems but happy to take their money.
So, what are saying is, money is needed to be invested into infrastructure.
www.bbc.co.uk
Adam Brooks will be happy at least
Yep.
No. The petition that has been set up by local people is specifically requesting that the government cease to use two Epping hotels for the placement of migrants, to cease placing migrants in small towns (and specifically mentions that Epping has previously had issues with Far Right organisations) and to properly consult local councils before placing migrants in any particular area. No mention of deportations.
www.bbc.co.uk
I keep reading that inflation rising in the UK is a "surprise":
Food bills on course to rise by £275 a year as prices jump
Households are trading down or making simpler meals to save money on groceries, research shows.
It was nailed on, as soon as the government landed their employers NI policy, workers rights and minimum wage reforms and closed domestic fossil fuel production leaving us reliant on energy imports at a time when we refuse to buy from Europe's largest energy producer.
The government haven't been honest about the consequences of these policies, hard economic sanctions on Russia, soft economic sanctions on China and winding down domestic oil & gas production. Some of these policies have been landed unannounced on business causing short term reaction.
Its a mess of our own making and its hurting us all.
I'm finding the food bill crazy too - easily my biggest expense. I have two human food compactors as sons, who I'm sure have singularities in their stomachs, which doesn't help. Crop yields are also down globally, which is another factor putting pressure on prices. A bread basket failure or two and we are in the do-do.