"It shouldn’t have taken this long" - Sheffield MP Abtisam Mohammed reacts to Yorkshire Water CEO's departure
“If Yorkshire Water were in public hands, ministers answerable to the public could have removed her long ago”
A Sheffield MP calling on water companies to be brought under public control said she is glad Yorkshire Water’s CEO is “finally stepping down.”
Abtisam Mohamed, who represents the Sheffield Central constituency, made the comments online only hours after CEO Nicola Shaw announced her departure.
The Yorkshire Water boss is set to continue her duties until January, 2027, when new CEO designate Nicola Medalova will take over.
.jpeg?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=65)
The change in leadership comes after the Environment Agency announced that Yorkshire would be rated one star out of four - the lowest possible grade - after a 70 per cent rise in pollution incidents in the past year.
“When I was first elected I met Nicola Shaw to hear how she planned to tackle Yorkshire Water’s failures,” Abtisam Mohamed said.
“She promised she wouldn’t take bonuses until the situation was fixed. She was then found to have received £1.3 million in undisclosed payments from the company’s offshore parent.
“When the BBC asked her about it, she said it ‘feels like it’s a lot of money’ but that’s what people running big organisations get paid. Apparently, that’s the going rate for running a company the Environment Agency has just given its lowest possible rating...
“I was glad to see that loophole closed after I raised it at PMQs, and glad the Prime Minister has announced greater public control of the water sector. Now, I’m glad Nicola Shaw is finally stepping down.
“It shouldn’t have taken this long. If Yorkshire Water were in public hands, ministers answerable to the public could have removed her long ago. That’s why I’ll keep pushing for public ownership of Yorkshire Water”
In a column for The Star in August, Ms Mohamed said that “only public ownership will fix” water services as she petitioned to bring the sector back under public control.
Due to the Yorkshire Water’s newly-announced poor rating, it will automatically be blocked from giving out bonuses to bosses under rules introduced last year.
Announcing her departure, Nicola Shaw said: “It has been a privilege to lead Yorkshire Water and serve the people of Yorkshire.
“Although there remains a huge amount of work to do, I am extremely proud of what our colleagues have achieved, putting the business on a stronger footing for delivery across all aspects of its work. These jobs are challenging but fulfilling and I am especially grateful for the dedication and commitment of colleagues at all levels throughout the business across this county - thank you all.
“This now feels like the right time to begin an orderly transition to the company’s next chapter. I know Nicola Medalova will do an outstanding job leading the company and I look forward to working closely with her over the coming months to ensure a seamless handover.”