David Hinton, CEO of South East Water, is under fire after major supply outages left tens of thousands of homes in parts of Sussex and Kent without running water, forcing schools and businesses to close.
Josh Babarinde, MP for Eastbourne, called for Mr Hinton’s resignation in the House of Commons on January 12.
Mr Babarinde said: “South East Water has failed our town and our region.”
He highlighted “serious failures” in the company’s response, including a lack of support for some of the most vulnerable residents on the Priority Services Register and a failure to provide bottled water stations in Eastbourne.
Josh Babarinde MP called for David Hinton to resign in Parliament (Image: Josh Babarinde)
Mr Babarinde described the company as a “busted flush” with years of underinvestment and poor resilience planning.
Six MPs – Helen Whately (Faversham and Mid Kent), Mims Davies (East Grinstead and Uckfield), Rosie Duffield (Canterbury), Helen Grant (Maidstone and Malling), Katie Lam (Weald of Kent), and Tom Tugendhat (Tonbridge and Edenbridge) – signed a letter to South East Water calling for Mr Hinton’s resignation.
The letter stated: “While we recognise weather and aging infrastructure is a challenge, there is no excuse for this abysmal handling of supply outages, and our constituents need to believe this company has the leadership, energy, and drive to achieve the change needed.
“David Hinton is clearly in no position to offer this to the company.”
Mr Tugendhat added: “Enough is enough. Like other MPs, I don’t have any confidence in the leadership of South East Water to resolve this crisis.
“They should step aside and allow someone competent to run the company.”
South East Water staff hand out bottled water at a water station in Maidstone (Image: Gareth Fuller/ PA)
Tunbridge Wells MP Mike Martin also called for Mr Hinton to step down in a letter to Natwest, whose Group Pension Fund own 25 per cent of South East Water.
Mr Martin said: “Quite clearly, corporate governance has broken down.
“We are now in a situation where a major public utility is out of control – failing its customers, risking public health, and treating Parliament with contempt.”
Mr Hinton’s base salary is £400,000, and he received a bonus of £115,000 last year.
Ofwat, the water industry regulator, is now being urged to investigate South East Water, The i paper has reported.
Ministers are expected to meet Ofwat in the coming days to demand the watchdog launch an investigation into the company’s failings.
Should the investigation uphold accusations of poor performance by the company, Ofwat would be expected to hit South East Water with a fine, which would then give the regulator the power to block shareholders from awarding Hinton with a bonus.
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