Thames Water Appeal: Company must be put into Special Administration

EMBARGO: 00.01 Tuesday 11th March 2025

Today, Liberal Democrat MP Charlie Maynard will be appealing the High Court's judgment on plans that would see an additional £3bn debt added to Thames Water's existing debt of more than £16bn. Commenting ahead of the appeal, Charlie Maynard said:

"Today I am fighting for the 16 million customers who have been left to foot the bill of Thames Water's mismanagement. 

"Both Ofwat and the government have buried their head in the sand, as firms such as Thames Water ramp up billions of pounds of extraordinarily expensive debt while continuing to pump tonnes of disgusting sewage into British rivers and seas. 

"This cannot continue, and the Liberal Democrats will lead from the front and fight to protect customers. The ultimate question is who should bear the costs of the disastrous way Thames Water has been run. The shareholders and creditors who were responsible for making those decisions, or the customers who have had to put up with poor service at extortionate prices.

"The solution is obvious. Thames Water must be put into Special Administration, so much of the debt can be written off and the company put onto a stable financial footing.”

ENDS