Most Britons believe that trains, water and energy should sit within the public sector

Fintan SmithPolitical Research Executive
Jemma ConnerResearch Manager
October 19, 2022, 8:15 AM GMT+0

A majority of Conservative voters say that utilities like water and energy should be run in the public sector

Having previously ran on a manifesto promising renationalisation of key services, Labour have since broken with these policies, only committing currently to the renationalisation of train services. Bringing trains back under public control would be popular, with 57% believing that train services should be run entirely within the public sector, including 44% of Conservative voters and 77% of Labour voters. One in five Britons (20%) back a hybrid system, with ownership being shared between the private and public sector.

Nationalisation overall seems to be popular with Britons. For every service asked about, at least half of believe that it should be run entirely in the public sector. This notably includes both energy and water, two industries that have seen massive increases in profits as bills have soared, with 55% and 63% respectively believing these services should be run entirely in the public sector. Even amongst Conservative voters there is strong support for nationalisation, with 58% saying the water industry should be in public ownership, and 47% saying the same of energy.

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Photo: Getty