North-South split shows when it comes to money for floods

NOW THE floods have hit the South East of England, David Cameron has stated that “Money is no object in this relief effort”.

I note that a similar pledge was never given when places like Hebden Bridge and other parts
of the North were hit by flooding in recent years. Yet another example of the North-South divide.

Just to prove how ‘out of touch’ he is, this is the same David Cameron who only a few months ago announced plans for several thousand redundancies at the Environment Agency, a government department who were already unable to cope with the floods even before the staffing cuts. If money is available, why is he cutting staff (Yorkshire Post, February 13)?

As yet I have not heard David Cameron rescind his plans to cut Environment Agency staff so things are likely to get worse in the future.

From: David Quarrie, Lynden Way, Holgate, York.

PM David Cameron says “money is not a problem” when asked about repairing the massive flood damage in England and Wales. It most certainly was a problem when dredging and other vital clear waterway projects were cut and stopped many years ago. Now that the worst damage is in the Tory heartlands, money is suddenly no problem. We are all in this together – don’t make me laugh!

From: John Dowson, Beal, North Yorkshire.

INSTEAD of wasting billions on the HS2 folly to allow businessmen and MPs save an extra few minutes of their valuable time, why not scrap the idea and spend the money on real flood defences?

I’m sure it would benefit far more businessmen in the long run and benefit huge numbers of homeowners and insurance companies currently going through what must be an horrendous ordeal.

The reduction in costs for farmers and insurance companies alone would benefit the whole of the population eventually and not just a favoured few!

From: Barrie Frost, Watson’s Lane, Reighton, Filey.

IF man-made pollution does change the world’s climate and if such change may be responsible for the recent flooding (and I realise these are big ‘ifs’), acquiring ‘cheaper’ goods from heavily polluting countries may prove to be extremely expensive.

The damage the flooding has caused must wipe out any savings we have received from getting cheaper products. I don’t suppose such countries will offer to help with the costs of our flood damage. Government policies which have encouraged foreign competition may have rebounded in a spectacularly disastrous way if they have contributed to the recent flooding.

From: Richard Bridge, Holgate Road, York.

RECENT flooding events have brought into sharp focus how rolling back the state can have serious consequences. Kersten England, chief executive of City of York Council, has stated that despite York being well-drilled in flood management, the cost of flood protection is more than councils can afford.

However, despite government claims to the contrary, cutting back on flood defences when climate change suggests a need for real increases is plainly ideological (interestingly, it is one of the first areas to be cut after the coalition came to power).

The situation has been compounded by the incoherent and divisive response by Owen Paterson and Eric Pickles to the extent that David Cameron can’t trust his own Ministers and is now charge to the response.

Dogma and disarray ... it seems to perfectly sum up this government.

From: John Rookes, Bramley, Rotherham.

LITTLE wonder that people are turned off politics and there is voting apathy, politicians do not listen. Lately there have been several calls from the public for a cut in the bloated overseas aid budget to help flood victims here in this country. With the exception of Ukip’s Nigel Farage, I have not heard any other politician say anything similar, let’s just see if that changes now that the wealthy South East and Londoners are being flooded.

From: Mr G. Marsden, Buxton Avenue, Heanor, Derby.

I CONCLUDE that we live in a period of blase attitude. There are hundreds of people in distress and anguish over their homes being ruined from water. There are thousands in torment because they cannot meet their daily or weekly financial needs.

There are thousands seeking a job to ensure their lives are not relying on hand outs. There are executives in the upper echelon grabbing bags full of money in the disguise of bonuses whilst their compatriots in the same business are facing the sack.

Then there are the MPs who “insist” they do not want a pay rise. So to show the country that they do empathise in our welfare, what do they do? They debate if a man or woman can have a fag in their own car. What a caring country we live in.

From: Ruthven Urquhart, High Hunsley, East Yorkshire.

FLOODING? Prevention better than cure?