Government EU flood funding u-turn

Photo: Su Williams

River Roch from the Queen's Park Road bridge

The Government has made an 11th-hour decision to apply for money from the EU Solidarity Fund to help with the costs of repairing flood damage. Having refused for more than two months to apply for the help, and with the deadline just two days away, the Government has now announced it will make the application.

Liz McInnes, MP for Heywood and Middleton, said: "It is great news that at long last the government have decided to apply for help from the EU Solidarity Fund.

"I have been urging the government to make the application ever since the floods hit my constituency of Heywood and Middleton and large parts of the north over Christmas. This is a victory for all of us who have put pressure on the government, and I am delighted that our efforts have finally forced this u-turn.

"It is frankly bizarre that the government have waited until two days before the deadline to announce they will make the application after weeks of refusing to do so, and questions must be asked about their behaviour. However, right now I am sure that the focus of everyone in the communities affected will be on continuing to repair the damage the flooding brought, getting people back in their homes, and getting businesses back up and running."