A floody disgrace
PM blasted for not visiting Dennis victims Tories accused of ignoring climate crisis
FLOOD victims and climate crisis campaigners have slammed Boris Johnson for failing to visit communities devastated by Storm Dennis.
Downing Street said yesterday that the Prime Minister had no plans to see the ravages of last weekend’s deluge first-hand.
Instead, he was holed up in the Foreign Secretary’s luxurious residence – Grade-I listed Chevening House in the Kent countryside.
He also ignored demands to call a COBRA emergency meeting, sparking fresh claims that he is not taking the climate crisis seriously.
Tracey Newman, 46, woke to find her house in Nantgarw, near Cardiff, knee-deep in water.
The mum of three said: “It is unbelievable he will not visit. This flooding is definitely down to global warming. People need to wake up to climate change.
“I phoned the Government emergency fund and they gave me £80. What can I do with that? It’s not even a week’s shopping
“We have had help from electricians working for free and people helping us clean up but nothing from the authorities.”
Shadow Environment Secretary Luke Pollard said: “The voting records of leading Tories show they are not taking the climate crisis seriously. Since Parliament declared a climate emergency we all have to do things differently.
“Sadly, it’s just more of the same from the Tories, who failed to prepare for the floods.”
The Tories have been blasted for taking donations from investors in fossil fuels – while the PM has had campaign money from hedge fund boss Michael Hintze, a backer of climate sciencedenying Global Warming Policy Foundation.
Sacked minister Claire O’Neill recently said the PM “doesn’t really get” climate change.
And in his newspaper columns, Mr Johnson has called wind farms “white satanic mills”, backed fracking and urged that we “ignore doom merchants” on emissions. Last night, ministers unveiled measures to help the floodhit. Affected households can apply for up to £500. Homes and firms “significantly affected” can get 100% council tax and rates relief for at least three months.
Small to medium-sized firms with “severe, uninsurable losses” are eligible for up to £2,500.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said: “We know climate change means extreme weather events like this are more likely and are already investing £2.6billion in flood defences by 2021.”
Downing Street insisted the PM was getting regular briefings on the floods and was “fully engaged with the Government’s recovery effort”.
I phoned the Government emergency fund and got £80. What can I do with that?
TRACEY NEWMAN ON TORIES’ WOEFUL RESPONSE TO FLOODS OF STORM DENNIS
BORIS Johnson’s empty words, arrogance and inaction while Britain sinks under floods shows that he is part of the problem not part of the solution.
When the country is crying out for short-term relief and a longer-term Green shift to save the planet, the complacency in Downing Street is shocking but not surprising.
The Tory Party’s dependency on money from fossil fuel polluters, which are driving the climate change emergency, explains a lot.
A former Tory Minister who recently warned Mr Johnson doesn’t really get climate change was on the money.
Communities under water need help now. Yet it seems Mr Johnson mistakenly believes he is impregnable with an 80-seat Parliamentary majority so need not bother too much.
But just as tides turn, so too does public opinion. The PM’s manifest failure in this crisis could help to sink him, hopefully for good.