Labour should consider nationalising Yorkshire Water to show it can bring about change, Tracy Brabin says

The West Yorkshire Mayor was speaking after devastating results for Labour in the local elections in her region, with the party losing all five of its majorities.

In Wakefield and Kirklees, Labour was almost entirely wiped out, with the losses leading to Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigning after losing faith in Sir Keir Starmer.

Ms Brabin was speaking to The Yorkshire Post on a visit to Westminster, after meeting the Prime Minister in No10 Downing Street.

Her message to the Government, after the local election results, was that “people don’t feel the change”.

“We have such a glorious opportunity of the Labour government, we can’t waste it,” she said.

“We have worked so hard to get it, so we have to rewire government to deliver faster.”

“There are incredibly good people, talented clever people [in Government], but it is the processes, the hoops people have to jump through, the lack of agility, the overstuffed bureaucracy, the risk aversion that is holding us back.

“I’m hoping that in the next few days - whatever happens in the centre - that that message is heard loud and clear, and the Prime Minister, or whoever, if there is a leadership challenge, we will see that focus on rewiring the heart of government to deliver faster.”

Ms Brabin suggested one option could be bringing water companies back into public control.

The Government has previously ruled this out, saying it would be too expensive - with firms like Yorkshire Water currently sitting with debt worth £6.2bn.

The West Yorkshire Mayor accepted this saying Whitehall “would have to find a different type of vehicle” to potentially take control of water firms.

“We have to find other ways to be creative and to solve these problems,” she said.

“That is just one example of the public saying: ‘How are you standing up for me?’

“I’ve got three mayors here with me - and we’re challenging Yorkshire Water and we cannot land a blow.”

Ms Brabin said she suggested to Ofwat - the water regulator - that the power to fine water firms could be devolved to mayors.

“It’s a crystal clear example of how the public feels unsupported in taking on these big institutions,” she said, referring to Yorkshire Water.

“We do have power, we can make change - and good news stories cannot get lost in all this mayhem.”

Ms Brabin’s comments come as it was revealed Yorkshire Water pumped sewage into designated bathing spots for 7,968 hours last year.

The firm apologised for the figures, with a spokesperson saying: “People are rightly concerned about water quality in their rivers and coast, and we’re sorry for the impact that combined sewer overflows have on bathing waters.

“Yorkshire Water knows that historic performance has not been good enough and our focus is on delivering improvements, transparently and at pace.

“We’re making the biggest investment in our history – £8.3bn over the next five years – to reduce pollution, leakage, and protect Yorkshire’s rivers and coasts.”