Kemi Badenoch claims Margaret Thatcher’s privatisation of water sector 'a success'

Play Brightcove video Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Mute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:44 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:44 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track en (Main) , selected Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Play Mute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently playing live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen Kemi Badenoch discusses the future of the water system with ITV News Meridian's Kit Bradshaw The Conservative leader has claimed that the privatisation of England’s water network in the 1980s has proved to be a success. Kemi Badenoch was responding to the prime minister's announcement that he would end the ban on public ownership of water companies. Andy Burnham said last week: "Water is a symbol of what has gone wrong with Britain. " The centrepiece of [the Water Bill] will be this - the repeal of Margaret Thatcher’s ideological ban on public ownership of water companies." Asked by ITV News Meridian if privatising water was one of Thatcher's biggest mistakes, Badenoch said: "Well, I wonder why you want to talk about her mistakes rather than her successes? " She is somebody who brought a lot of wealth and prosperity to this country. Privatisation was a success. " The issues with the water companies now, are not to do with the fact that they are privatised, but the fact that they are not being run properly. " Nationalising them is not necessarily going to change that." Thames Water and Southern Water have been facing public and political pressure over supply failures and sewage discharges. Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA Archive Burnham entered Downing Street promising greater public control of utilities. Badenoch said she doesn't think "Andy Burnham running the water companies is the answer". In September, Southern Water was fined £2.4m after admitting multiple incidents of sewage pollution in Kent between 2019 and 2021. In July, South East Water was ordered to spend £30.5m on improvements after repeated supply failures in Kent and Sussex. There have been calls to place Thames Water into special administration, after its debts continued to rise as it seeks additional investment to stay afloat. WATCH: Kemi Badenoch's full interview with ITV News Meridian on ITVX and below... Play Brightcove video Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Mute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 4:54 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 4:54 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track en (Main) , selected Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Play Mute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently playing live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know....