UK's 'broken' water system and Burnham's plan to take it back

Andy Burnham has reportedly told officials to rip up their plans for fixing Thames Water because they don't go far enough. James wants to know something simpler: how was this allowed to happen at all? A company Britain used to own is now sitting on £100m of outstanding fines, asking its own creditors for another £2.4bn just to keep the taps on, while stakeholders including companies owned by foreign governments have made a fortune. The answers come from callers who were there. Jeremy was asked to leave in 1989 after telling senior management that leakage and sewage treatment figures were far worse than the company was reporting. Steve spent 36 years inside Thames and explains how land, property and skilled maintenance staff were sold or stripped away and why Burnham's real nuclear option might be insolvency law. Then a complete change of direction. Number 10 has openly rejected Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump's claims that NATO allies "stayed a little back, a little off the front lines" during the war in Afghanistan. 457 British personnel died on duty. James hands the show to the callers with most invested in the British military... soldiers who served alongside Americans and men who buried their friends. This episode was recorded on the 20th of October. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.