We’ve heard enough about the failures of Britain’s water bosses – it’s time they went to jail

Just under a year ago, a group of women arrived at the Thames Water headquarters, requesting to see the CEO, Chris Weston. Our aim was to place him under citizen’s arrest.

This was our first “action” as Citizen’s Arrest Network (CAN). We are targeting CEOs because of their failure to take responsibility for the damage they do to our environment, and for their rampant profiteering.

England and Wales are the only countries in the world with a fully privatised water and sewage system, which has objectively been one of the worst political missteps by the British state in a generation. At the time, it was claimed that privatisation would increase investment. In reality, investment dropped off a cliff; the industry as a whole is £73bn in debt and our water infrastructure is in a worse state than ever. This is all while £88.4bn in dividends has been paid out to shareholders, while company directors dodge bonus bans and cover fines for pollution by increasing our bills.

It’s not just the water industry that suffers from this level of mismanagement. The oil and gas industry is responsible for astronomical levels of pollution globally, risking public health and undermining crucial global heating targets, while CEOs and shareholders pocket huge wages and bonuses. While water company bosses have drawn particular public fury in recent years, fossil fuel bosses have also been met with innumerable fines, demands for accountability, and even UN-backed calls to criminalise their work. The economic world has responded to all of this with very polite calls for “environmental externalities” to be fully priced into the cost of the products.

 Our question is: why aren’t the CEOs in jail?

A Public Nuisance

That’s where CAN comes in. So far, we have accused eight water bosses of up to four counts of Public Nuisance, focusing on environmental damage and illegal sewage spills, failure to maintain infrastructure, and mismanagement of funds. We’ve also brought charges against six oil and gas executives.

 For each of our targets, we have compiled a dossier of evidence detailing their company’s environmental impact, fines levied against them, and how much money they take home (including bonuses and dividends), all gathered using publicly available information. Once we have that, we target them for a citizen’s arrest.

For this, our tactic involves a group of sharply-dressed women surrounding our target while holding hands in order to “apprehend” them until the police arrive. We engage them politely and nonviolently, but communicate our aims and grievances firmly.

Typically, when campaign groups try to force accountability on environmentally damaging organisations, they go up against the companies themselves. The problem with this is that punishment for companies often comes in the shape of fines, or particular projects being blocked. Water companies get round this by building fines into their company models. (Likewise, oil and gas companies just find other, equally damaging projects. In any case, it’s business as usual.)

 But we’re not going after companies anymore. We’re going after CEOs and directors. While they might often hide behind their companies, the individuals in these roles are ultimately responsible for the actions of their organisations. They are also people, just like you and me, and the law should apply to them. Except, if you or I had been caught illegally dumping sewage at the same rate as Southern Water has been over the last few years, we would have long been arrested. So, why isn’t Lawrence Gosden?

Trust Women

 It has always been important to us that these arrests are carried out by women. For one thing, our aim is to confront – not intimidate – our targets. A few weeks ago, an article in The Sunday Times asked, “What if a group of men surrounded Nicola Shaw [CEO of Yorkshire Water]?” Well, that’s exactly why we do it this way.

Equally, though, women have been the backbone of environmental resistance movements throughout history. A major inspiration for our campaign is Erin Brockovich, who took legal action against Pacific Gas & Electric for contaminating the groundwater in Hinkley, California, with carcinogenic hexavalent chromium. After a hard-fought campaign, Brockovich won. Other inspirations include the group of anti-fracking ‘Nanas’, whose 2014 occupation of Preston New Road played a vital role in stopping fracking operations in Lancashire, and the collective of Indigenous women who led the 2016/17 campaign against the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock.

 Because at the end of the day, we can trust women to get shit done.

Environmental activism is often dismissed with well-worn tropes about hippies, students, and ‘crusties’. The CAN ladies are, for the most part, women in middle-age: mums, grandmothers, vicars, ex-teachers, and social workers. They have the experience to know how the world treats people like them and are ready to do something about it. What’s more, their bold and formal dress (second-hand, naturally) has served to undercut usual assumptions.

We go to work, and we look good doing it.

What’s Next?

Our tactics in recent months have gained a lot of public support and these CEOs know who we are and are clearly worried about us finding them, so we know we’re gaining traction. In October last year, a group of eight women encircled and held Mark Thurston, CEO of Anglian Water, for nearly an hour until the police arrived. After our encounter with Lawrence Gosden last November, the Southern Water CEO has hired bodyguards to protect him. Given the scale of environmental harm his company has caused, it’s ironic that he sees us as the threat. But we’ll take his fear as a compliment.

We know that the tide is turning. We’ve received overwhelming support online, and the demand for those at the top to actually take responsibility for their companies is getting louder and louder. In Italy last year, 11 company executives were sentenced to 17 years in prison after being found guilty of polluting local waters with PFAS.

This isn’t a question of if, it’s a question of when.

 We’ve recently announced that we are working with Leigh Day solicitors to prosecute Chris Weston for his failed responsibilities over Thames Water. At the time of writing we’re still waiting for a response from Thames Valley Police regarding our evidence, but we’re confident. Those in positions of power have been taking us for a ride. It’s time we started letting them know that enough is enough.

If you want to support our work, you can do so via our website.

Modern Cockney Festival: The Battle of Cable Street at 90, Monday 16th 12:30pm (online)

Our very close friends at the Modern Cockney Festival are running a whole series of events through March, and over lunch on Monday 16th they host an online discussion, where you can join Michael Rosen, author, broadcaster, and poet whose parents met through the events of October 4th 1936, along with community activists Dr Abdullah Faliq and Glyn Robbins of United East End, to explore the myths, legends, and realities of communities facing up to fascism and the Far Right. Get your tickets here.

Elsewhere in Absurdity...

We’ve worked together now since 2023 and The Fête of Britain launch in Manchester. Ever since, we’ve been forever thankful that Tracey Sage has become a close part of our Absurd Crew. Let us count the ways: Tracey is one of the most able, thoughtful, grounded and inclusive professionals we’ve had the joy to work with, who makes everything we do better. With our ambitious plans for The Fête as a major intervention in the cultural life of this country, we couldn’t hope to be working with a better cultural advocate. A glimpse into Tracey’s week:

• It was wonderful to be able to share news of the Tramshed’s Open House: Showcase Event in Woolwich coming up on Thursday 26 March. Tramshed are showcasing the work of the organisation as well as the history of their new building, known as the home for comedy and music back in the day. 
• Tracey also spent time visiting organisations who have successful secured space for their endeavours. Three organisations, three different models:
  • Soul Purpose 360 at their newly secured building, the Soulful Community Hub, on George Lane Croydon, attending their Returning to Wholeness – AFYA Wellness Day, focused on health wellbeing treatments and workshops for Black and Global Majority Women.
  • The Windrush Generation Legacy Association, at Croydon’s Whitgift Centre to join in their converted shop space, for an uplifting afternoon of celebration, coupled with vital information about health and ageing, among their ongoing displays including a Windrush Front Room Exhibition.
  • And finally a visit to PemPeople to catch up with their Founder and Director, Nicholas, during the launch weekend for the second phase of Livesy Exchange2 (LEX2) a purpose built community and creative space on Old Kent Road, a welcoming hub for creatives from all walks of life to build their dreams and create successful enterprises.
• David attended a round table hosted by Chatham House on the recent AI Summit in India. Lots of worries about the current escalatory dynamic is driving a headlong dash to building AI physical infrastructure without considering the consequences.
• Diya and Stella went to see the visceral folk experience Salt at the Riverside, from pioneering Great Yarmouth company Contemporary Ritual Theatre.
• And tonight Charlie, Clare and Alex are off to here Ece Temelkuran talk about her new book, Nation of Strangers, at the South Bank.