Sedgemoor Labour Leader urges MP to challenge Government Flood Failings

Recent flooding in the centre of Bridgwater

The Guardian reported on 30th September 2013 that: "Owen Paterson told a fringe meeting at the Conservative party conference.... that predictions by scientists – that there could be major increases in temperature resulting in melting ice caps and worldwide flooding – should not be seen as entirely negative".

On the 5th January the same paper reported that: "Sir David King, the government's special envoy on climate change, has said: Britain needs to face up to a radical change in weather conditions that could be the result of global warming, and spend much more on flood defences. Amid the worst floods for decades, King said the UK must do more to manage the problem, potentially doubling spending to £1bn a year by 2020, as extreme weather events are likely to become more frequent".

Cllr Mick Lerry, Labour
PPC Bridgwater & West Som

Yet once again with heavy rainfall and adverse tides the Somerset Moors are flooded. Houses have had to be evacuated. A flood summit was held in Somerset in 2013 attended by Ian Liddell-Grainger MP, Tessa Munt MP and Jeremy Browne MP and there were promises from government and the Environment Agency that remedies would be put in place. Government has refused to fund the necessary work to avoid flooding and recently the Environment Agency announced that 1500 members of their staff would be made redundant.

Ian Liddell Grainger MP should be highlighting the failure of the Government to act in to reduce the risk of flooding for local people, as the last Labour Government did for the people of Gloucestershire.

Cllr Mick Lerry

 

Leader of the Labour Group on Sedgemoor District Council

 

Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Bridgwater and West Somerset Constituency

 

 

email: michael.lerry@btinternet.com

 

mobile: 07775905080