Actors David Thewlis and Jason Watkins, the main characters from Channel 4's Dirty Business, have launched an official government petition to hold a referendum on public ownership of water supply.

The petition, backed by outspoken campaigner and former Undertones lead singer Feargal Sharkey, who stated: “Privatisation has already diverted over £85bn of billpayers' money to shareholders who added nothing but greed and financial engineering to what should be a water industry, not a cash machine.”

England and Wales are estimated to need five billion more litres of water a day by 2050 and supporters say that a referendum would provide a clear democratic mandate.

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