About 30 years ago, an Australian investment company called Macquarie figured out how to turn public utilities into lucrative assets. This strategy helped catapult the company into the biggest infrastructure investor in the world. Now, its services range from delivering tap water to London to transporting gas across the United States. But recently it has emerged that one of Macquarie’s former assets, Thames Water, is struggling, and the utility’s consumers are feeling the consequences. We sit down with the FT’s infrastructure correspondent Gill Plimmer to discuss what we can learn from Thames Water’s troubles and what happens when private investments meet a public necessity. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:Managed by Macquarie: the Australian group with a grip on global infrastructureThe dangers of asset managers when it comes to long-term infrastructureHow the Thames Water-gate burstThames Water travails threaten to plunge privatised sector into crisis- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - On Twitter, follow Gill Plimmer (@gillplimmer1) and Topher Forhecz (@ForheczT)Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel Reeves, the UK's chancellor, discusses the daunting £20 billion financial shortfall that may lead to tax increases. George Parker, political editor at the Financial Times, along with Stephen Bush and Robert Shrimsley, analyze government options amid this uncertainty. Gill Plimmer highlights the controversial cancellation of the HS2 rail link and its far-reaching implications for transportation and regional economies. The conversation sheds light on the delicate balance between fiscal responsibility and public expectations.