Photo: Twitter/BBC
More than just a national treasure, Stephen Fry has also proved he’s fairly adept at driving home his political views. During his latest appearance on the BBC’s Sunday morning political panel, the former QI host made a strong case for water nationalisation.
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The private ownership of British waterways is seen as a disaster by many, as rivers and lakes across the country have been sullied by sewage and pumped full of polluted materials. The failure to protect our water sources was also branded a ‘disgrace’ by Fry.
Thames Water are staring down the barrel of a huge financial black hole, with doubts over their ability to operate into 2025 intensifying by the day. Elsewhere, bosses at Britain’s top water firms have scored major bonuses within the last few years – despite the state of the system.
In parts of Devon, thousands of residents were forced to boil their water before consuming it earlier this year. The Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race was marred by disgusting conditions in the Thames – in which the river water left some competitors feeling violently ill.
It’s all proved too much for Stephen Fry, who pulled no punches earlier today. Speaking to Victoria Derbyshire, he lamented the fact that Brexit had ‘failed to take back any control’, and stated firmly that nationalisation would be the best way forward.
“In the days of Brexit, we heard the phrase ‘take back control’ an awful lot. But not to have control of our water has always struck me as insane. How can a country not have control of its rivers, lakes, and drinking water? Yes, I’m saying we should nationalise water.”
“It may also be a good idea to nationalise our railways too. But certainly, the waterways must be nationalised. Every single river in this country is polluted with sewage and run-off. It’s a disgrace, everyone in this country wants this putting right immediately.” | Stephen Fry
