sh.t in Rivers

[IvanV]

I would suggest that East Coast Mainline is probably a better counterexample and model than bailing out the banks.

ECML earns a large profit. They went bankrupt over bidding too much to government to access that profit. When you take it over, without having to pay those large premiums to government, suddenly you have a very profitable business again. But the government no longer has the sums the companies bid to run it.

It's just arithmetic, not success. The arithmetic is very different with a water company.

[tenchboy]

I'm sorry I didn't get far with this one
England river clean-up effort ‘poor’, says watchdog [BBC]
Because when I got to...

A government spokesperson said this government had done "more than any other" to restore waterways.

I couldn't think of anything other than, "but how many years have you been in control now? This is your fault and no-one elses"; and turned the page.
I readily admit, not having read the complete article, that I may be rushing to judgment but my prejudice comforts me.