Set up taskforce to deal with dual threats of flooding and coronavirus, Keir Starmer says ahead of Yorkshire visit

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on the Prime Minister to set up a flooding taskforce to protect Yorkshire residents and businesses from the dual threat of coronavirus and another winter deluge.

Sir Keir, who will on Thursday visit those hit by flooding in South Yorkshire last year, before accompanying Labour’s West Yorkshire mayoral candidate Tracy Brabin to a community centre and foodbank in West Yorkshire.

And it comes as Labour has set out new party research which accused Boris Johnson of breaking promises to flood-hit communities a year ago.

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Sir Keir has called for a flooding taskforce to include regional leaders and frontline services, to ensure communities across England are protected from the combined dangers of flooding and Covid this winter.

File photo of Sir Keir Starmer. Photo: PAFile photo of Sir Keir Starmer. Photo: PA
File photo of Sir Keir Starmer. Photo: PA

And it comes after the Environment Agency warned people this week to prepare for possible floods as Met Office forecasts showed the next two months may be wetter than usual.

The Government has said it has tried and tested plans in place and has dealt with the individual risks of coronavirus, flooding, and also the Brexit transition period.

But Sir Keir said: “It’s simply not good enough to wait until after disaster strikes to turn up and pledge support.”

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Labour said fire and rescue services have lost more than 11,000 workers - 22 per cent of total staff - since 2020 while those services have seen a 17 per cent increase in calls to flooding events.

The party also said there was a failure to fully distribute the £5,000 grants promised by the Prime Minister to people whose homes and businesses were affected by floods – with no transparency over the number distributed – meaning some may not receive funds until more than two years after the floods.

And 11 months on from the promise of a whole-Yorkshire flood summit, one has still not been held, prompting 21 letters and parliamentary interventions from local leaders.

A South Yorkshire-only summit was held, but the Prime Minister did not attend.

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Sir Keir said: “The Prime Minister visited Yorkshire after last year’s floods and made big promises to people affected. But it’s simply not good enough to wait until after disaster strikes to turn up and pledge support.

“The Government should be convening a flood preparedness taskforce now, involving local leaders and frontline agencies, in case the worst happens over Christmas or New Year.

“The need for pre-emptive action is especially urgent this year. The pandemic has pushed councils and frontline services to their limits, and people will be extremely anxious at the thought of having to evacuate while the threat of the virus is still very real.

“The reality is that we’ve had twelve months of delays and broken promises from the Government. Unless we see swift action, the Prime Minister risks letting down flood-hit communities yet again.”

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A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokesperson said: “Flooding has a devastating impact on lives and livelihoods, but since 2015 the government has invested £496m in flood defences in Yorkshire – more than any other region – better protecting more than 66,000 properties.

“And earlier this year we doubled our national investment in flood and coastal defences to a record £5.2bn over six years which will protect hundreds of thousands more homes, and Yorkshire is set receive its share of this funding.”

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