EU Referendum


Floods: taking a turn for the worse


06/02/2014



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With Owen Paterson admitted to hospital as the flooding crisis worsens, David Cameron is taking personal control of emergency efforts to help stricken households, alongside Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.

Mr Cameron meanwhile has pledged another £100m to add to the flood control pot. Around £75m will be spent on repairs, £15m on maintenance and £10m on specific flood measures for the Somerset Levels.

However, we've been there before, with earlier expenditure failing to deliver. As Mr Cameron digs into this issue, he will find he is constrained by a ragbag of international and EU "obligations", with very little freedom to act. Not least, he may find he needs permission from the European Commission before he can implement any new policies.

Mr Paterson is perhaps better off out of it, rather than having to deal with things like this. We wish him a speedy recovery and time to recuperate. It will be a tremendous opportunity for the prime minister to discover quite how complex the "environment" portfolio has become, and what a strain his Secretary of State has been under.

Meanwhile, see what a mess the BBC makes of the issue. Spool to 18:28 minutes for the propaganda on climate change.