Boris Johnson faces criticism for failing to visit flood-hit areas ravaged by Storm Dennis

  • Follow our live weather updates from around the country, HERE.
1/8
Bronwen Weatherby18 February 2020

Boris Johnson and his Government have been slammed by opposition MPs and flooding victims after it was revealed the Prime Minister had no plans to visit areas worst-hit by the recent storms.

The criticism comes after what has been described as unprecedented flooding, which has left parts of the UK virtually underwater.

Thousands have had to be evacuated after more than a month's worth of rain fell over the weekend during Storm Dennis, and on Tuesday more than 400 flood alerts and warning remained in place.

People in Hereford had to be rescued from their homes amid flooding 
AFP via Getty Images

Labour has attacked Mr Johnson's resistance to calling an emergency Cobra emergency meeting, with shadow environment secretary Luke Pollard labelling his "refusal" to visit flood-stricken families "a disgrace".

In another wave of criticism today, Mr Pollard told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We need a different approach and that’s why ministers need to recognise that their response so far hasn’t been good enough.

"Yes, more money is needed, but it’s a different approach that’s needed most of all."

He added: “If we are to protect communities and give those communities that are currently underwater more reassurance, I’m afraid government’s going to need to have a more comprehensive strategy than what we’ve seen to date.”

Downing Street said on Monday the Prime Minister was receiving regular updates while staying at the Chevening country estate in Kent.

The new Environment Secretary George Eustice has also claimed that ministers have a "firm grip" on the situation.

RSPCA Cymru workers rescue sheep from a flooded field in St Asaph in Denbighshire
PA

It is not the first time Mr Johnson has been condemned for his response to widespread flooding. The Prime Minister was heckled when he visited flood-hit communities in December after refusing to apologise for not visiting sooner.

Residents affected by the recent floods, who have had to watch their homes and property become submerged in floodwater, are again asking "Where is Boris?"

Robin Williams, 62, from Pontypridd - where 600 people have been displaced - asked journalists: "Where's Boris? Where's the help?"

Another Pontypridd residents Tracey Waites, 49, told MailOnline: "We haven't seen anyone. There are no politicians down here helping. Where are they?"

A man uses a plank of wood to paddle a kayak on floodwater near his house in Ross-on-Wye
AFP via Getty Images

The local MP Alex Davies-Jones for Labour told the Guardian: "Where is he? He’s the Scarlet Pimpernel – you can never find him in an emergency.”

She said: “Why hasn’t Cobra been convened? This is a massive national emergency in my book.

"Parts of Wales have been hit that have never been hit before – that’s what’s so shocking about this. We need to understand why this has happened.

"The UK government needs to wake up and realise serious things are happening here in terms of climate change and our planet and it needs to address them now.”

Seven "danger to life" flood warnings in now place for Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire with concerns that another two inches of rain could fall on Tuesday in Wales.

Houses in the Welsh village of Crickhowell have been submerged in water after the River Usk burst its banks. A major incident was declared in Wales after the rain led to multiple landslides.

Flood water surrounds Upton upon Severn in Worcestershire
PA

St Ives, a market town in York, is was also flooded by the River Ouse. The River Wye in Herefordshire is the highest it has been since records began.

The body of 55-year-old Yvonne Booth from Birmingham was discovered on Monday after she was swept away by water when her car became stuck on a bridge, while the bodies of two men were also pulled from rough seas off Kent on Saturday.

A walker died in a fall in the Scottish Highlands on Sunday, while a man in his 60s died on Sunday after being pulled from the River Tawe near Trebanos Rugby Club in Wales. Police said his death was not being linked to the bad weather.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey accused the Prime Minister of "pretending that the floods were not happening".

Labour leadership candidate Sir Keir Starmer also said it was an “appalling decision” not to hold a Cobra meeting.

Mr Starmer called the flooding a "stark reminder that the Government is not doing enough to get to grips with the climate crisis".

He added that ministers should not be "ducking their responsibilities".

Rachel Cox among the debris left by flooding in her home in Nantgarw
PA

Number 10 has said flood defences are a devolved matter and problems in Wales are the remit of the Welsh government.

Dame Kate Barker, of the National Infrastructure Commission, said the causes of flooding will only get worse with climate change and said the government needed "to go further" than the £4 billion they have already committed to investing in the issue.

“In our National Infrastructure Assessment in 2018, we recommended a national standard of resilience to flooding, to focus attention on delivering the long-term solutions required, including traditional flood defences, green infrastructure and better spatial planning.

“We expect Government to take decisive action in its forthcoming National Infrastructure Strategy to mitigate the risks we face."

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in