North-South divide over relief for flood-stricken regions

OUR Prime Minister says there are “lessons to learn” regarding the flooding, but that is just more hot air.

For decades all Governments, red or blue, have run down our infrastructure. Rail, road, sewers, energy pipelines, schools, hospitals, rivers, coastal defences, you name it and our politicians and bureaucrats have underfunded it.

All too often, Government policy is “patch and pray” that nothing bad happens. Well now it has, and the warnings were there.

Sea levels are rising. Two years ago, I looked at estimates of UK land being submerged on continuing trends.

In my lifetime, it’s entirely possible that I will see Yorkshire wiped out. Grimsby becomes an island.

What utter folly, then, to be supporting a rich man’s train set to get to London 20 minutes faster, for £50bn. Completely impossible when the line’s flooded, as will be the destination!

I find it impossible to support any of the three main political parties. Their credibility is non-existent.

From: Pat Adamson nee Wardell, Somerset.

I AM a Yorkshire girl living on the Somerset Levels. As you know, we have been suffering from a lot of flooding since the end of December.

Everyone here is so pleased 
that some farmers from the Wakefield area are bringing 
down 30 tonnes of donated livestock feed and bedding to Bridgwater.

So many farmers here have lost everything their kindness is really appreciated so please could you put a huge thank you for being so kind in the paper from the people on the Somerset Levels.

From: Andrew Suter, Station Road, Ampleforth, York.

CONTRAST the Westminster MPs falling out their wellies 
to be doing something for the Thames with those who gave just £900 of compensation to the whole of North Yorkshire for millions of flood damge suffered in 2012.

Our Prime Minister says he wil do “whatever it takes”. Not in Yorkshire, I don’t think so. Priceless one might say? North-South divide? You decide.

From: Malcolm Nicholson, Barwick-in-Elmet.

I DIDN’T realise until recently that the Environment Agency chief is an ineffectual Labour stooge who appears to put birds before people. Former Labour Minister Chris Smith was a nonentity on the Labour front bench, and it’s no surprise he’s still of little use after failing to meet the people he should have.

How desperately sad for the Somerset Levels to have this arrogant man in charge now. This job should not be left to a bunch of amateurs, but should now be handed over to construction and drainage experts.

From: Nigel Boddy, Fife Road, Darlington.

I WAS very shocked to see the shoddy way Caroline Lucas, the Green Party MP for Brighton, was treated at Prime Minister’s Question Time when she tried to ask a question on the flooding.

What kind of a democracy are we running here when the only Green Party MP is not permitted to ask a question on an environmental issue, even when called upon at first to do so by the Speaker?

Cameron should also have answered her question. Don’t MPs realise how bad this makes them look on television?

From: Keith Bagot, The Terrace, Honley, Holmfirth.

WHEN the Thames Valley flooded, David Cameron said “money is no object when it comes to the flood relief” and the military were brought into action.

Why didn’t Mr Cameron make such a statement when our own Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd and the Malton area and many other Yorkshire towns and villages were flooded in 2012-13?

From: Karl Sheridan, Selby Road, Holme on Spalding Moor, East Yorkshire.

IT goes without saying that the Government has suddenly leapt into action as regards the flooding of the various parts of the UK because it has realised that valuable votes could be lost – especially those in the Thames Valley.

However although we have hard-working MPs, it is the Government Ministers who should accept the blame for all the negligent cost cutting exercises they have inflicted on the environment over the years.

What I do question, though, is the apparent lack of help from those international aid agencies who are very quick to ask for our help and money when disasters occur overseas, but when the UK is suffering seem to be turning a blind eye.

From: John Watson, Hutton Hill, Leyburn.

I KNOW that over the years various correspondents have complained about our foreign aid and probably had good reasons for doing so. The implications of such a generous aid policy is like water off a duck’s back until we, ourselves, become victims of the weather.

We have hundreds of people in the South trying to get some sort of financial help to aid them with the flooding they are experiencing. And now the Thames has broken its banks and it is causing all sorts of chaos.

When we donate to disasters abroad, we appear to be very generous.

We put our hands in our pockets without a thought. What happens when the boot is on the other foot? Nothing!