Neil Pithouse

@BBCWiltshire Brilliant idea.

Plan for statue to celebrate brewery shire horses bbc.in/3NKxOTD

@Feargal_Sharkey What's the difference between a fine they won't pay and an investment plan they won't follow?

And here's the thing Ofwat already has the power to do exactly that, simply issue an enforcement order, see section 18 of the Water Industries Act 1991. In fact the law requires that Ofwat SHALL issue an enforcement order. Any failure to comply means Ofwat can then fine South East Water anything up to 10% of their turnover or revoke their operating licence. @ThreshedThought

@Giveitago1 @DCMS Swindon is in the South West.

@DCMS Morning, well done to all those long listed. For future reference the UK has a huge region full of heritage and culture that you may want to include next time, map for reference.

UK City of Culture recognises the enormous contributions made by communities all over the UK These nine places showcased the local culture and heritage that makes them unique Congratulations to Blackpool, Inverness-Highland, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Swindon, Ipswich and Wrexham gov.uk/government/new…

Glorious video highlighting the beauty of the longlisted locations except for Swindon where the drone circles The Mechanics Institute a building that to Swindonians is emblematic of our cultural & heritage failures. Who at DCMS chose this & did they consult with SBC? Epic fail.

@DCMS @jimrobbins And the listed Swindon building they show on this video, The Mechanics Institute, has been on the Theatres Trust at risk register since it was first drawn up in 2006 and on SAVE Britain's Heritage buildings at risk register since 1991. Wonder who made that decision.

@SaveOasis Glad to see the Police taking steps to protect people and possibly saving lives but the only reason they've had to do this is because SevenCapital and their contractors (if there really are any) are failing to safeguard our building and SBC are totally ineffectual.

It is now illegal to enter the Oasis.

@BBCWiltshire Please send your ideas, no matter how ludicrous, to Swindon Borough Council!! This smacks of headline hunting desperation in the run up to the election in May from a council leadership that has generated little goodwill or momentum in the last three years. Embarrassing.

Car park could be converted into TV and movie set bbc.in/4bMmlLz

@Alan_b1 @Feargal_Sharkey I can think of several MP's that have gone to prison. Can't think of a single utilities CEO that's even been arrested.

@Feargal_Sharkey There is never accountability. I can’t recall the last utilites CEO or politician being arrested charged and spending any time in prison. They’re all in it together and don’t want to set a precedent.

"Water companies are ruining our seaside — prison is the only deterrent." Cracking idea but here's the thing. The Environment Agency already has the power to bring prosecutions resulting in a maximum jail sentence of 5 years, unlimited fines, and under the Proceeds of Crime Act confiscation orders. How many water company executives do you think have ever been investigated never mind prosecuted by the EA? thetimes.com/travel/inspira…

@NickSmi85755728 @CatHobbs @ZackPolanski Nobody likes paying bills or taxes and politicians want to be liked/adored as that's where the votes are. They didn't want the condemnation every time the 'state' put up water bills so they privatised that abuse. Job done, blame the water companies when bills rose.

If ever this economic illiterate gets his hands anywhere near the levers of power I dread to think how appalling our young people's future will be. The reason why water was privatised was because the government had no money to modernise it. Name just one part of the public sector that is remotely well run.

Excellent speech from @ZackPolanski, time to bring water into public ownership 👏👏👏 We don't have to destroy nature for shareholder returns We don't have to rack up bills while a handful of people profit Every penny could be reinvested back into the system

@GreenRForest @CommonsEFRA @HarperAdamsUni If farmers seek professional inheritance tax advice they'll likely find ways to reduce their tax burden. What they mustn't do is sit and complain and do nothing. Fail to plan and you plan to fail.

@CommonsEFRA @HarperAdamsUni Excellent agritech investment! But UK inheritance taxes force these students' family farms to sell. We're training agritech talent then undermining their futures. 🚜

This week, we visited @harperadamsuni to learn more about their cutting edge agritech research and speak to students about the future of the farming workforce.

@Keir_Starmer A resolution "in the best interests of the British people"... that is sickening.

I condemn in the strongest terms the overnight Iranian strike on a Qatari gas facility. We are working towards a swift resolution to the situation in the Middle East, in the best interests of the British people – because there is no question that ending the war is the quickest way to reduce the cost of living.

@mrcjstevens @neilrobinson_88 @SaveOasis Too high profile to be spent elsewhere I think but it has to be spent by March 2030 and with no private sector funding having materialised yet it could run out of time especially if Labour lose control of SBC.

@NeilPithouse @neilrobinson_88 @SaveOasis Given that this money isn't ring fenced id be surprised if any venue gets built after election season! That money will be absorbed by other needs no doubt!

Some reaction to today's £20m Entertainment Venue news. The Oasis is far from forgotten.

@mrcjstevens @neilrobinson_88 @SaveOasis Venue is allegedly going to cost £45 million so SBC will have to find £25 million. 18 months ago it was going to cost £35 million although Jim Robbins claimed it could probably be done for £15 million. Funny that SBC always have money for their big projects but not for our Oasis.

@neilrobinson_88 @SaveOasis sbc are happy to borrow the rest of the £20m shortfall for a temporary structure but refused to borrow money to restore the Oasis themselves or indeed ring fence the £6m seven capital want to sell it back to them for once it's reopened,the hypocrisy is breathtaking and suspicious

@DaleVince @WindrushWasp I assume you support the nationalisation of the energy industry as well. Capacity stripped out, constantly rising bills, massive profits made and prioritising dividends to foreign shareholders whilst ordinary people have to choose whether to heat or eat.

Our privatised water industry is not just dirty, not just toxic - it’s lethal. We need to take it back into public control. Decades long failures to invest what is needed, despite constantly rising bills - prioritising dividends to foreign shareholders instead - and now this. It's criminal neglect. Putting money before people - looks like this. Privatisation looks like this. theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/m…

@ITFCWOSC @jimrobbins @BarclaysWSL This shows contempt for the Women's team and is clearly intended to 'put them in their place'. No doubt the usual "didn't intend" "fully support" "committed" statement will be delivered in due course.

Official ITFCWOSC statement on the WSL2 decision to schedule all final WSL2 league fixtures on the same day as the final men's championship fixtures. @BarclaysWSL

@NickJ_UK @WindrushWasp The debt has largely been written off by the original lenders and sold on at deep discounts. The new debt holders know that water companies, like @thameswater, are effectively bankrupt so more fool them for buying it in the first place. I won't be crying for them.

@WindrushWasp Many questions. For example, will the government re-finance £82 billions of debt? Good luck to them finding this amount of money given all other spending pressures. If banks are supposed to provide funding, the debt contracts will still include all the covenants (“instructions”).

Roll up Our captured and blackmailed government v Some of the best financial predators in the world. 16 million water customers (aka victims) are the prize. Anyone thinking this will end well?

@MartinSLewis Voted self service but I prefer staffed tills however I don't need to use them and leave them for people who do need staff on a till. There may be a lot of staffed tills in the shops I visit but very few, if any, are actually open.

Today's Poll: With 15 items of supermarket shopping would you choose a self-service till or staffed till if the queue was of equal length?

@BannersOTW Early bird seated for an adult next season works out at £17.50 per game in Swindon (30 games) or 12 monthly payments 'spread the cost' £18.83. My concession season is going up from £400 to £450 - 12.5% increase if I'm doing the maths right. Spread the cost would be £475. Ouch.

Leeds seated adult works out as £16.50/game for early bird or £18/game for 30 games which is pre-season and league/cup group games. Playoffs and extra cup games not included. Single game adult seat at halfway this season is £19.50 before any fees.

@Feargal_Sharkey Trouble is Britain's politicians are equally as guilty and complicit. Reading the open letter I reached the conclusion that elections are looming and that is why he's talking tough, it has nothing to do with any real concern for our planet or rivers.

Thames Water's fat cat crime boss Chris Weston refuses to meet with Basingstoke council leaders. Yep, that the kind of arrogance you get when you know you're never going to be investigated, know you're never going to be prosecuted, know you'll never be held to account. The water industry is nothing more than a criminal enterprise operating in a failed state. basingstokegazette.co.uk/news/25923388.…

@EmmaforWycombe Their vehicles can already be seized and crushed but that hasn't stopped them. They'll just drive without licences and insurance. Greed will out just as it does in the water industry.

This Labour government is tackling waste crime head‑on. Under new plans, fly‑tippers will face points on their driving licence and even risk losing it altogether.