Boris Johnson under attack for response to floods - again
Prime minister faces second month of criticism over his response to the issue
Boris Johnson has been criticised by a raft of politicians for not visiting flood-stricken communities after rivers burst their banks across southern England.
The Met Office has 54 flood warnings and 141 flood alerts in place across the UK, including in the north of England and the Midlands.
Many families may be forced to spend the Christmas period away from their homes after rivers burst their banks in Kent, Cornwall, Sussex and Norfolk.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Wera Hobhouse, the Liberal Democrat MP, said: “The fact that, once again, the prime minister isn’t even planning to visit flood-hit communities says it all.
“This is a man who is perfectly comfortable weathering the storm from the comfort of his own home, rather than confronting the grim reality that hundreds of people across the UK are having to deal with.”
Johnson, who is spending Christmas with his girlfriend, Carrie Symonds, in Downing Street, has no current plans to make any trips to regions of the UK damaged by flooding.
The prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “We are working closely with the Environment Agency. The EA is monitoring the rainfall and river levels, and they have crews on the ground already operating defences.”
Simon Greaves, the Labour leader of Bassetlaw council in Nottinghamshire, where nearly 200 homes were badly damaged, said drastic action will be needed to avoid future disasters.
He said: “It would be a scandal if the government response to this crisis is simply devoted to a mopping-up exercise and a grant here and a grant there when actually there are people’s homes that need to be saved from flooding in the future.
“There will be a need for multimillion-pound investment for flood defences without any doubt if we’re going to avoid a catastrophe of the same scale.”
Dan Jarvis, the elected mayor of the Sheffield city region, called on Johnson to establish a “Cobra for the north” that would be chaired by a cabinet minister and leap into action as soon as floods struck.
This is the second time in his premiership that Johnson has been criticised over his response to flooding.
Last month, he was accused of an “utterly outrageous” lack of concern about the severe floods that caused devastation and misery in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and South Yorkshire.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The history of Donald Trump's election conspiracy theories
The Explainer How the 2024 Republican nominee has consistently stoked baseless fears of a stolen election
By David Faris Published
-
Two ancient cities have been discovered along the Silk Road
Under the radar The discovery changed what was known about the old trade route
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
'People shouldn't have to share the road with impaired drivers'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
At least 95 dead in Spain flash floods
Speed Read Torrential rainfall caused the country's worst flooding since 1996
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Flooding in Central Europe leaves at least 17 dead
Speed Read Storm Boris hit Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic and Austria
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How can cities better prepare for flooding? Be a sponge.
The Explainer In 'sponge cities,' green infrastructure would absorb excess water instead of pushing it somewhere else
By Devika Rao Published
-
Libya: the 'tsunami' that washed away a city
Talking Point Climate change may have made the storm more likely, but many blame failures of governance for the scale of the tragedy
By The Week Staff Published
-
Nova Kakhovka dam breach labelled ‘worst ecological disaster since Chernobyl’
Speed Read Mass floods have forced thousands to flee their homes in Ukraine and are expected to have long-lasting environmental impacts
By Richard Windsor Published
-
Why is extreme weather causing fewer deaths?
feature The changing climate is leading to more disasters but warnings and management of impacts is improving
By Rebekah Evans Published
-
Cop27: what’s on the agenda and will it be a success?
In Depth Summit is a chance to showcase implementation but reparation question could be key
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Pakistan floods hit 33m people
Speed Read UN chief blames ‘monsoon on steroids’ on the global climate crisis
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published