Water privatisation is a classic example of the kind of behaviour Labour would be expected to rail against but some estimates suggest a temporary nationalisation would cost £2bn a year.

Thames Water has won a crucial High Court battle to secure a £3bn rescue loan, staving off the prospect of the debt-laden company coming under government control. The UK's largest water and waste company was set to run out of cash by the end of March and would have likely been placed into temporary nationalisation to keep services running.

Britain's Thames Water secured court approval for a 3 billion pound ($3.8 billion) debt lifeline on Tuesday, warding off the collapse and state rescue of the country's biggest water supplier. The government had been on standby to put Thames Water,

Swindon's water supplier Thames Water is set to be loaned billions of pounds at the same time the company seeks to hike prices.