Yorkshire MPs urge Boris Johnson to deliver on his promise to better prepare Yorkshire against flood risks

Two Yorkshire MPs have urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to make good on the promise to ensure the county is better prepared to meet future flood risks.
By Sarah Freeman
Published 26th Dec 2020, 11:48 BST

While work on a number of major flood defences, including the raising of the Foss Barrier in York, has been completed in the wake of the 2015 disaster, many areas remain exposed in the face of another deluge.

The Labour MP for York Central, Rachael Maskell, said: “The replacing of the old Foss Barrier at a cost of £38m is welcome, and it has given many residents and business owners the peace of mind they deserve. However, there is much more to be done and the Government can’t be allowed to drag its feet.

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“We were promised a Yorkshire Flood Conference which hasn’t yet happened and if we don’t continue to apply the pressure, we will be in danger of letting down thousands more residents and business owners.”

Two Yorkshire MPs have called on Boris Johnson to deliver on his promises to Yorkshire on floodingTwo Yorkshire MPs have called on Boris Johnson to deliver on his promises to Yorkshire on flooding
Two Yorkshire MPs have called on Boris Johnson to deliver on his promises to Yorkshire on flooding

Those calls have been echoed by Rachel Reeves, the Labour MP for Leeds West, which was badly hit by the Boxing Day disaster.

She said: “The risk of floods this winter in the middle of a pandemic is deeply worrying and could not come at a worse possible time when our frontline services are already over-stretched. Boris Johnson must urgently convene a flood preparedness taskforce in case the worst happens again.”

Related topics:Boris JohnsonMPsYorkshireRachel ReevesGovernmentYork