23 July 2025
The People’s Commission on the Water Sector sent a letter to Steve Reed, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, setting out why the £100bn being repeatedly used as the cost of nationalising the UK water industry is wrong, and why money will not have to come from the National Health Service.
The letter is published on the website of the People’s Commission on the Water Sector
7 July 2025
In October 2024 the UK government launched an independent commission (Cunliffe commission) on the English and Welsh water systems. While we welcome such an initiative, the remit of the government’s commission is restricted in two main ways:
The scope is limited to improving regulation of the current system rather than considering alternative models of water provision, or providing solutions to ensure we have a robust sustainable and resilient water system.
Participation in the government’s commission is limited to stakeholders within the sector with little scope for involvement from the public who use water services and whose bills finance the entire water sector.
This has been reinforced by the independent commission’s interim report which fails to address the public’s concerns about pollution, profiteering, and the failure of the current water sector. The Cunliffe interim report suggests more security for privatised water companies, and more bureaucracy, but is not currently offering the radical solution and shake-up needed.
The People’s Commission, led by four academics from UK universities, aims to broaden the scope of the government commission, with public meetings in local venues across England. We have taken evidence from sector experts and water users, and draw on international experience to devise policy options for a sustainable, equitable and effective water system.
The People’s Commission published its report on the 7th July 2025. It is available here
Plataforma Salvemos la Montaña de Cáceres, 1 April 2024
Overview of the Cáceres lithium mine project
The lithium mine project at San José de Valdeflorez, less than 2 km from the town of Cáceres, which has a population of 100,000, is a perfect example of the perversion of a part of public institutions and politics that puts the short-term profit of mining and its tentacles into society before the security of the water supply, its recognition and its protection. It was revealed in the city in 2017, along with various errors in the administrative process by which the research permits were granted.
Eau Secours 34, 25 April 2024
Key events in the revival of mining and metallurgy in France
Between 1980 and 2005, France closes almost all its mines and associated metallurgical sites, due to competition from countries with much lower production costs.
In 2008, the price of several metals begins to rise again. These metals are now produced outside the EU by a handful of countries that have a quasi monopoly. The Raw Materials Initiative published by the European Commission sets out the economic and geopolitical risks for Member States and proposes ways of securing supplies of these metals for European industry.
The Fillon government then launches the policy of what would later be called the « renouveau minier français » and in 2011 creates the Committee for Strategic Metals (COMES). In 2012, Arnaud Montebourg, Minister for Productive Recovery in the Ayraud government, declares that he wants to make France a mining country again. A simplification of procedures is introduced into the mining code in 2014. In 2015, Emmanuel Macron, Minister for the Economy, Industry and Digital Technologies in the Valls government, launches the « mine responsable » Initiative, which is criticised by all the environmental ngos. In 2016, like Arnaud Montebourg, he advocates the return of mining to France. From 2012 to 2016, a large number of mining exploration and research permits (PERM) are granted, but these are so strongly opposed by local elected representatives, affected communities and environmental ngos that most of them are withdrawn in 2017. This marks the end of the « renouveau minier français », but not the end of the revival of the extraction of critical and strategic minerals in France.
Struggle Committee of Megali Panagia, 14 January 2024
Gold mining and gold metallurgy, as well as the mining industry in general, is one of the most polluting activities worldwide, with immediate and long-term effects on the natural environment and humans. In this report, some basic characteristics of gold mining and metallurgy will be elaborated, as briefly as possible, in order to illustrate what gold mining is, how it is carried out and what are its effects. At the same time, some data on the Eldorado Gold project for gold mining and metallurgy in Skouries will be highlighted. The paper also provides a timeline connecting the initial with the updated/new investment plan agreed upon with the Greek government.