Support for nationalisation of various sectors has remained constant since the last election, having grown significantly from 2017

Key takeaways

  • 82% of Britons believe water companies should be run in the public sector, with 70% saying the same of energy companies
  • Three quarters of the public support railway companies being brought into public ownership
  • There’s been next to no change in support for nationalisation of utilities and public transport companies over the last two years, following a big increase from 2017
  • Support for nationalising water and energy companies includes clear majorities of voters for all five main parties

Andy Burnham has said that the nationalisation of energy and water companies would be in his programme for government, if he succeeds in replacing Keir Starmer as prime minister. This would follow on from the current government’s planned creation of Great British Railways, which will bring most passenger services under public ownership over the next few years.

YouGov polling prior to the last election suggested high and growing levels of public support for the nationalisation of public transport and utility companies. So with Burnham hoping to put the issue back on the agenda, does opinion still back such a move?

More than eight in ten Britons (82%) believe that water companies should be run in the public sector, with only 8% favouring the status quo, where water providers are private companies. This puts the water sector on a par with schools, the NHS, the armed forces and the police, which 83-89% of Britons believe should be run by the state and only single-digit proportions (3-6%) would like to see run in the private sector.

Support for the nationalisation of energy companies is not quite as high, but still a full 70% of Britons would rather they were run in the public sector, relative to just 18% who think it’s better for them to be operated for profit.

None of these proportions have changed significantly since our 2024 poll, which demonstrated substantial increases in support for some nationalisations relative to just prior to the 2017 general election. Indeed, water and energy companies were among the sectors where the increase was greatest, with a preference for the public ownership of water 23 percentage points higher today than in June 2017.

Regardless of four train operators having been brought under public ownership since the 2024 election, there is no movement in opinion on rail nationalisation, with 76% of Britons continuing to favour railways companies being operated in the public sector.

Three quarters of Britons (76%) also continue to believe Royal Mail should be run in the public sector, with 67% likewise favouring the public ownership of bus companies and 62-63% believing universities and the BBC should be nationalised.

The public, however, still tend to oppose the nationalisation of phone and internet providers (by a margin of 47% to 38%), with a majority wanting to keep banks (53%) and airlines (65%) in private hands.

Which voters support nationalisation of public transport and utilities?

Support for the nationalisation of utility and public transport companies is not just high, but also broad. Majorities of those who voted for all five of the major parties at the last general election support water companies, railway operators, the Royal Mail, energy providers and bus companies being run in the public sector.

There is a degree of variation between voters, however, with the 59% of 2024 Conservative voters who favour energy companies being run in the public sector compares to 68% of those who backed Reform UK, 74% of Lib Dems and 79-80% of those who voted Labour or Green. But overall, voters are largely aligned on which sectors should and should not be run the state.

The main exception among the industries polled are internet and phone providers, whose status near-divides Labour, Lib Dem, Reform UK and Green voters, with 38-43% favouring them being run in the public sector and 43-50% preferring they continue to be run privately. Conservative voters, though, are roughly twice as likely to feel they should be run privately (60% vs 28%).

Green voters are the sole exception on banks, being split 38% to 42% on which sector they should run by the state, while Reform UK voters are split 42% to 42% on whether the BBC should be a public or private broadcaster.

See the full results here

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