Overwhelming majority of Britons believe water and energy companies should be run by public sector, poll finds
A clear majority of Britons believe that water and energy companies should be run by the public sector rather than […]
A clear majority of Britons believe that water and energy companies should be run by the public sector rather than by private companies, a new poll from YouGov has found.
Asked by the polling company which sectors should be nationalised and run in the public sector, or privatised and run by private companies, 82% of respondents said that water companies should be run by the public sector while 70% said the same about energy companies.
It comes after Labour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham reiterated his pledge to bring under public control water and energy companies as part of his pitch to take the Labour Party under a different direction.
Speaking to Channel 4 News earlier this month, Burnham said the “deindustrialisation and privatisation” of Britain had left areas like Makerfield “without good jobs and people unable to afford the basics.”
He said: “We need a different path completely. What is that path? Put more things back under stronger public control: energy, housing, water, transport.”
Other areas where the public thought public ownership would be better than private ownership include bus companies (67%) and railway companies (76%).
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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