Independent Water Commission

Luke Akehurst Excerpts

Monday 21st July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Steve Reed]

Of course, social tariffs already exist within the individual water companies—Sir Jon has made recommendations about that. We will consult on that later in the year and then take decisions as we bring forward legislation in the new year.

[Luke Akehurst (North Durham) (Lab)]

It is a shame that no one is here from the Reform party to explain its proposals for the water companies; its Members might have managed to be more eloquent than their leader was on TV yesterday. Reform’s unfunded spending commitment would send mortgages through the roof and take money away from the NHS, schools, police and our armed forces. Will the Secretary of State tell us how much he thinks Reform’s proposals would cost, and comment on whether he thinks Reform has a clue about this policy area as its Members cannot even be bothered to be in the Chamber?

[Steve Reed]

I agree with my hon. Friend; it is a shame that no Reform Members have turned up, although perhaps it is not surprising because they did not bother mentioning this issue in their manifesto either. We did hear at the weekend that their leader, the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage), wants to hand £50 billion of taxpayers’ money to the owners of water companies. If we add that to its existing £80 billion of unfunded commitments, it comes to £130 billion. By my reckoning, that is almost double the amount that Liz Truss bet and lost on the economy when she crashed it and sent mortgages, prices and rents skyrocketing. Reform wants to double down on the bad bet.