MP calls for water boss to give back her bonus

LABOUR MP FRED THOMAS SAYS £200K SHOULD GO TO CUSTOMERS

- By WILLIAM TELFORD

A PLYMOUTH MP has written to the boss of South West Water demanding she gives what he calls a £200,000 “bonus” to customers. Fred Thomas, Labour MP for Moor View, has penned a letter to SWW honcho Susan Davy to raise concern about her bonus despite the poor performance of the utility giant.

The letter has been signed by a cross section of South West MPs and comes as water watchdog Ofwat told SWW to make £24m of improvements after sewage failings.

Ofwat's proposed enforcement package has been ordered after it found that the Exeter-headquartered company had failed to meet its legal obligations in managing its wastewater treatment works and network.

Mr Thomas today demanded Ms Davy redistribute her nearly £200,000 “bonus” to the customers that he said SWW has failed. In the letter, Mr Thomas criticises the SWW chief executive for taking the cash whilst the financial burden continues to fall on customers, who have just seen their bills increased once again - by 28% on average from April this year.

But, in a letter in response, Ms Davy pointed out that she had received no bonus this year. The company’s remuneration committee “paused” the award of an annual bonus for 2024/25.