Opposition party makes inroads in South East England seats where water pollution has sparked public anger
Lie back and think of England’s infrastructure
Universities Superannuation Scheme owns 20% stake in troubled utility that is in effect worthless
Ofwat has limited room for manoeuvre in providing leniency to financially distressed water companies
Ofwat draws up proposal for ‘recovery regime’ to avoid nationalisation of Thames Water and other groups
Figures obtained via freedom of information laws come as water pollution rises up political agenda
Move by Canadian pension fund is sign of escalating financial crisis at UK’s largest water supplier
Utility accuses housebuilder of ‘negligence’ after sewer blocked with concrete
Breakdown of accounts comes as testing on Tideway tunnel set to begin and UK’s biggest water provider faces debt crisis
Creditors holding £5bn of debt have been spooked by default of parent company this month
Shortage of data raises questions over condition of infrastructure as groups seek sharp increases in bills
A potential failure at the UK’s biggest water provider could carry sector-wide risks, survey finds
Investors grow nervous over financing technique likely to be used by government for future projects
US manager known for aggressive approach bets markets are too pessimistic about potential losses on utility’s debt
Troubled utility asks regulator to approve higher expenditure alongside potential rise to bills
Government contingency plans could see bulk of debt taken on by state with utility split in two
Special administration might limit fallout for other utilities and provide a chance to tackle unwieldy structure
Chancellor says UK government will never insure investors against poor decisions
Notes on performative default and Chekhov’s water pistol
In 32 years since privatisation £78bn has been paid out of utilities
Ballooning leverage and excessive financial engineering are among the unnerving parallels with the 2008 financial crisis
Investors calculated that it would take £8bn of fresh equity to comply with Ofwat conditions
Separating punishment for past sins from future investment should be the priority
Australian group had been criticised for loading UK utility with debt
Investors should stop using an approach that many have long regarded as fundamentally flawed
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