Oxford MP refuses to push for Thames Water administration

Labour’s Anneliese Dodds, the representative for Oxford East since 2017, is the only Oxfordshire MP not to have signed an open letter calling for Thames Water to be placed into special administration without delay.

Written by campaign group We Own It, the letter has been sent to Ofwat and the Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds MP.

READ MORE: Thames Water sorry after poo leaked into Oxfordshire home

Sophie Conquest, lead campaigner for the group, said: “Because of Thames Water, children are being denied access to education, roads are regularly flooded and Oxfordshire’s waterways are being turned into open sewers.”

The water supplier for 16m people across London and the Thames Valley is over £17bn in debt and last year was handed a record £122.7m fine, largely for breaching wastewater regulations.

(Image: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)

It has been reported that Thames Water is close to a deal with regulator Ofwat which would see it avoid fines for four years, as long as it invests in the business.

This has not yet been approved by the regulator, which is said to be divided on the deal.

If it isn’t passed, Thames Water could go into special administration with The Guardian reporting the business is due to run out of money again in October.

Ms Conquest said: “This deal is outrageous. We cannot allow failing water companies to set the terms of their own regulation.

Sophie Conquest, lead campaigner at We Own It (Image: We Own It)

“By taking Thames Water into special administration, we can slash the debts and give billpayers and the environment a fair deal.”

We Own it urged Ms Dodds to sign the open letter as soon as possible, which also calls for the rejection of the deal.

Current signatories include the six other Oxfordshire MPs, one of which is her Labour colleague and Banbury MP Sean Woodcock, although the Labour Government has said it would prefer a market-led solution.

There have been calls to put Thames Water in special administration (Image: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)

Ms Dodds’ office said the MP had repeatedly raised concerns about Thames Water, including about the potential pausing of fines.

She has also said that special administration would be preferable compared to a deal that did not protect consumers.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire stars of Channel 4 show in water referendum call

A spokesperson for Ms Dodds’ office said: “Anneliese has raised problems with Thames Water repeatedly, both directly with the company and with government ministers, including meeting directly with minister Emma Hardy.

“She pushed for a ban on bonuses for failing water bosses and for the failing Ofwat to be abolished – both of which are now being delivered.

“She has also raised deep concerns about suggestions that Ofwat might accept a deal with Thames Water’s creditors that would pause any fines being levied on the company until 2030.

“She has urged ministers not to accept this, and stressed that a special administration regime would.”

A Thames Water spokesperson said: “Thames Water remains focused on securing a solution with London and Valley Water consortium that delivers improvements for customers and the environment as soon as practicable, whilst continuing to make progress with our operational and financial turnaround plan. 

“In the first six months of 2025/26 pollutions fell by 20 per cent. We also made a record £1.26billion capital investment, an increase of 22 per cent year-on-year, as we launched the biggest upgrade to the Thames Water network in 150 years. 

“Special administration would delay urgently needed improvements, increase costs, transfer risk and potentially create operational disruption, while not resolving the core regulatory and structural challenges facing Thames Water.

“The recapitalisation already under way would still need to be completed, but later and at a greater cost.  

“A market-led recovery remains the fastest and safest route to delivering environmental and service improvements. It is in the best interests of customers, taxpayers and the wider UK economy.”