Allies of Andy Burnham have warned the mayor not to retreat from his promise to put water companies under public control, after reports outlined a plan that would give mayors new oversight powers over the sector.
Mathew Lawrence and Mark McVitie, who have been described as providing the intellectual underpinning for Burnham’s project over the summer, cautioned that simply extending political oversight would not meet the substance of the pledge. Both argued that public control implies more than scrutiny and would require the ability to influence financial and operational decisions.
Details of the proposal that have emerged focus on enhancing mayoral powers to oversee water companies rather than transferring direct financial control or ownership. Critics within Burnham’s circle say that restricting changes to oversight risks being perceived as a watering down of the original commitment, and could undermine the policy’s credibility among supporters who expect substantive change to the way the utilities are run.
The debate highlights a broader tension in proposals for greater public involvement in essential services: whether reforms should emphasize accountability and oversight or pursue fuller forms of public ownership and control. As plans are refined and more detail becomes public, Burnham faces pressure from advisers and allies to ensure any measures match the scale and intent of his earlier promise.
Supporters of stronger public control have for months pointed to problems in the water sector and used them to argue for more radical intervention. The emerging row over the details of mayoral powers is now likely to shape both the political narrative and the practical design of any reforms Burnham brings forward.