Cat Hobbs

Cat Hobbs

@cathobbs.bsky.social

Founder/director of @weownit.org.uk Loves public services. Campaigning for public ownership, against privatisation.

5K followers349 following560 posts

Cat Hobbs reposted

RMT Union
@rmtunion.bsky.social

Every year, £6 BILLION leaves our public services in profits for outsourcing giants. That would pay for: 🏫 2 years of free school meals 👵 300,000 adult social care workers 🏠 30,000 council houses a year 🏥 200,000 nurses for the NHS It’s time to Insource Now! #Budget2026

Cat Hobbs
@cathobbs.bsky.social

DOWNGRADE ⬇️ "The CCC− rating places Thames Water deep into speculative-grade territory, indicating substantial credit risk" Come on @andyburnham.bsky.social YOU can slash the debt so households 🏡 don't have to pay for it REMOVE THAMES WATER'S LICENCE www.watermagazine.co.uk/2026/10/28/s...

watermagazine.co.ukS&P downgrades Thames Water further as restructuring talks continue - Water MagazineS&P downgrades Thames Water to CCC− as the company seeks £2.4bn in additional emergency funding and continues restructuring talks.
Cat Hobbs
@cathobbs.bsky.social

Tomorrow Thames Water creditors plan to approve £2.4 billion bailout at expense of households Today the Chancellor will promise "breathing space" #Budget2026 That should mean NO water bill rises NO bailout for Thames Water Let them run out of cash, take them back @andyburnham.bsky.social

Cat Hobbs reposted

We Own It
@weownit.org.uk

Write to your MP TODAY. Join @chrishinchliff.bsky.social.bsky.social and demand that proposed England water bill hikes are blocked. 💩They made the mess - why should we pay to clear it up? vist.ly/5qb5q

Cat Hobbs reposted

Darren Jones MP
@darrenpjones.bsky.social

Royal Mail should be back in public hands. After years of missed delivery targets, Royal Mail has proven it can’t be run effectively by the private sector. That’s why I’ve called on the Government to renationalise it. If we fail to act, we risk losing Royal Mail for good.

Cat Hobbs reposted

Peter Geoghegan
@petergeoghegan.bsky.social

🔴 REVEALED: Palantir led closed-door review of how MoD buys software The review was presented to defence minister Luke Pollard by Palantir UK boss Louis Mosley in Feb and has mostly been implemented None of this was made public New investigation🧵 democracyforsale.substack.com/p/revealed-p...

democracyforsale.substack.comRevealed: Palantir led secret review of how the MoD spends billionsThe Ministry of Defence asked the controversial US tech firm how to fix its procurement rules. Its answer? Fewer obstacles for companies like Palantir

Cat Hobbs reposted

We Own It
@weownit.org.uk

"It's time for this government to show some energy and some bravery and put the water companies into special administration - and then, of course, into public ownership". 💯@greenjennyjones.bsky.social. It's time to end the rip-off and take private water companies in England back into public hands.

Cat Hobbs
@cathobbs.bsky.social

Privatisation has failed This Thursday 29th Oct shady Thames Water execs will meet dodgy US hedge funds to agree a £2.4 BILLION bailout that *households will pay for through increased bills* @andyburnham.bsky.social has 3 DAYS to step in and STOP THE BAILOUT, take back Thames Water

Cat Hobbs
@cathobbs.bsky.social

Deadline to respond @houseoflords.parliament.uk inquiry on children's social care is 23.59 tonight www.parliament.uk/business/lor... Wales is phasing out profits Scotland capping profits on homes, removing profits from foster care England should follow their example weownit.org.uk/news/nearly-...

weownit.org.ukNearly 80% of those with a view say government should cap or end profits in children’s social careNew polling shows that nearly 80% of those with a view say government should cap or end profits in children’s social care.

Cat Hobbs reposted

We Own It
@weownit.org.uk

"We need to generate enough energy before the 29th to demand Andy Burnham step in and block the Thames Water bailout and take Thames Water into Special Admin." Our Outreach Lead @jbnwogbo.bsky.social spoke at Arise: Festival of Left Ideas. This is his speech vist.ly/5pqq3

labouroutlook.orgFight for our public services – Johnbosco Nwogbo"The fight for our public services is a fight between you and people and interests like this, and for Andy Burnham and every politician it comes down to the question: whose side are you going to be on?"
Cat Hobbs
@cathobbs.bsky.social

As long as we have water privatisation, the system will never "work in our interests" The government should take water into public ownership (normal in 9/10 of world) 5 DAYS TO GO - @andyburnham.bsky.social say NO to Thames Water creditors, say NO to bill hikes www.theguardian.com/business/202...

theguardian.comUK government to make unprecedented intervention in setting of water billsExclusive: Angela Eagle tells utility bosses next price review ‘must focus on value for money for customers’

Cat Hobbs reposted

Clive Lewis MP
@labourlewis.bsky.social

On Tuesday MPs held an evidence session on alternative forms of ownership for water. This wouldn’t have happened without the groundswell of support for public ownership. The pressure this has created has pushed the debate on from whether we replace the current privatised mess, to how we replace it.

inews.co.ukBurnham's plan to fix sewage crisis and lower water bills 'could fail'. This is whyA group of Labour MPs say current proposals 'fall short' and are urging the Government to go further with plans to seize control of England's water firms

Cat Hobbs reposted

We Own It
@weownit.org.uk

🔥🔥🔥🔥15,000 people have already signed. Add your name now: weownit.org.uk/stopthebailout We have until Thursday, 29th Oct, to get Andy Burnham to BLOCK THE THAMES WATER BAILOUT Now's the moment. Please sign and share widely.

Cat Hobbs reposted

We Own It
@weownit.org.uk

We should take our water into public ownership WITHOUT COMPENSATION - starting with Thames Water. Spot on @ewanmg.bsky.social Andy Burnham has a real opportunity to achieve this now by blocking the Thames Water bailout by Thursday 29th Oct Sign the petition NOW: vist.ly/5pdj7

Cat Hobbs reposted

We Own It
@weownit.org.uk

Public ownership of water is way better than privatisation. Here's why. Andy Burnham MUST block the Thames Water bailout and bring it into public ownership. Sign the petition NOW: vist.ly/5pavf

Cat Hobbs reposted

We Own It
@weownit.org.uk

Why are they even called "investors" if they've TAKEN OUT more than they've ever PUT IN? It's time to end this disaster. Andy Burnham has a big opportunity now. Ask him to block the Thames Water bailout NOW: vist.ly/5pb97

Cat Hobbs reposted

scotfi1.bsky.social
@scotfi1.bsky.social

Replying to @cathobbs.bsky.social

Next year they'll be back asking for another £3 billion. I mean seriously, how ripped off do we need to be before any government does something? Just renationalise it and use the £3 billion to fix the system.

Cat Hobbs reposted

Mrs. G
@janbellina.bsky.social

Replying to @joemcw.bsky.social

Thames water is bankrupt. But it has not been declared bankrupt because the government allowed it to raid its customers' bank accounts to keep it afloat. Now, seeing as they have let the infrastructure get so bad, and paid their CEO and shareholders so much, they have come back for more.

Cat Hobbs reposted

We Own It
@weownit.org.uk

Andy Burnham doesn't need to wait for civil servants in order to do something about the Thames Water disaster He can block the Thames Water bailout by Oct 29th - sign the petition: vist.ly/5p8ig

Cat Hobbs reposted

Mrs. G
@janbellina.bsky.social

Replying to @cathobbs.bsky.social

I shall not forgive Andy Burnham if his government again bails out the water company that has been given carte blanche to raid its captive customers' coffers twice for repairs and maintenance the customers have already paid for.

Cat Hobbs reposted

We Own It
@weownit.org.uk

Thames Water is on the brink of collapse and is asking creditors for yet another bailout at our expense Andy Burnham is missing a huge opportunity RIGHT NOW to bring it into public hands Sign our petition to pressure him before a bailout decision on Thursday 29th Oct: vist.ly/5p5nm

Cat Hobbs
@cathobbs.bsky.social

Nothing is stopping @andyburnham.bsky.social He must step in by Thursday 29th October to stop the next bailout at our expense weownit.org.uk/act-now/tham... Remove Thames Water's licence with special administration Slash the debt, permanent PUBLIC OWNERSHIP www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

theguardian.comBurnham urges officials to come up with more radical options for Thames WaterExclusive: Utility seen as ‘litmus test’ of PM’s promise to bring ‘essentials of life’ under public control
Cat Hobbs
@cathobbs.bsky.social

It's insulting that Ofwat has offered £2.87 to Thames Water households as compensation for poor performance Water privatisation costs every household in England £176 a year Open letter below: block the water bill hikes and take back Thames Water NOW weownit.org.uk/news/water-b...

weownit.org.ukBlock water bill hikes and bring insolvent Thames Water into public ownership, open letter demandsWe Own It director, Cat Hobbs, has today written to the government and water regulator, Ofwat, calling for water bill hikes to be BLOCKED and for Thames Water to be brought into public hands...

Cat Hobbs reposted

We Own It
@weownit.org.uk

Our NHS has been hollowed out over the last few decades. Thank you @premnsikka.bsky.social The UK has 2.4 NHS beds PER 1,000 people Japan: 12.6 Germany: 7.7 Austria: 6.6 France: 5.4 OECD average: 4.2 This is why we have the disgrace of corridor care. It's time to invest and rebuild our NHS

Cat Hobbs
@cathobbs.bsky.social

This ought to be a joke If @ofwat.bsky.social seriously wanted to stop poor performance it - would have said NO to 36% bill rise last year - would have said NO to £3.4 billion bill rise on top - would be taking private water companies into PUBLIC OWNERSHIP www.independent.co.uk/news/busines...

independent.co.ukHouseholds to see water bills cut as regulator fines failing suppliersOfwat stressed that changes to bills are ‘affected by a range of factors and the effect will vary by company and customer type’

Cat Hobbs reposted

We Own It
@weownit.org.uk

Private water companies are trying to convince you that taking our water into public ownership is too expensive But we can bring water into public hands for LESS than they will siphon out of our bills over the next 5 years Public ownership now!

Cat Hobbs reposted

We Own It
@weownit.org.uk

🎊🎉Congrats to @metromayorsteve.bsky.social for delivering public control of buses for Liverpool This will stop private operators from charging extortionate fares and cutting services To end profiteering and run buses fully in the public interest, we must move to public ownership

Cat Hobbs reposted

We Own It
@weownit.org.uk

This is how private interests manufacture consent for policies that are NOT in our interest Private companies have extracted £90 billion in dividends since privatisation - and loaded them up with £72 billion in debt It is time for Andy Burnham to bring our water into public ownership!

Cat Hobbs
@cathobbs.bsky.social

New report funded by the privatised water industry says "The Ownership vs. Financing Debate: Ultimately, nationalisation merely moves the investment-versus-bills trade-off" Conveniently ignores that A THIRD of our water bills is currently *wasted* on debt and dividends 💧🤑💧

Cat Hobbs reposted

We Own It
@weownit.org.uk

Barry Gardiner MP has the receipts; showing that England's water companies are persistently failing in their statutory duties. As Secretary of State for the Environment Angela Eagle already has the power to take them into Special Administration. "She can. She should."