Thread by @RachelReevesMP

THREAD on flooding in Leeds and across Northern communities, and why it’s time for the Government to finally act. 👇 (1/10)

In 2015, towns and cities across the North of England, including Kirkstall in my constituency, experienced unprecedented floods. These were devastating for local residents and businesses, costing the Leeds City Region more than £500 million. (2/10)

In the aftermath of the 2015 floods, the Government assured Northern communities, including Leeds, that it would act to stop similar devastation happening again. I welcomed this and looked forward to working with the Gvt to get effective flood defences for the North. (3/10)

Phase One of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme, which was started before the 2015 flooding, was completed in 2017. However, this does not protect many areas – such as Kirkstall Road – that are most vulnerable to flooding and were hardest hit in 2015. (4/10)

Phase Two currently has a £23 million funding shortfall - which the Government has repeatedly refused to meet. Since 2015, I have been fighting to keep flooding on the Government’s agenda and have done everything I can to hold them to account for their broken promises. (5/10)

In May 2019, I questioned @trussliz about whether the Government would fund the funding shortfall, especially given how climate change is making floods worse. She replied saying the Government was “keen to make progress”, but offered nothing substantial. (6/10)

@trussliz I also invited the Chancellor to visit Leeds to see the plans for the flood defence project and to meet affected residents and businesses for himself. He did not accept the invitation. (7/10) yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/…

@trussliz In September 2019, I wrote to the Chancellor again to press for action. The Government repeated the funding commitments it had already made, without saying anything new. The letter didn’t even reference the £23 million funding gap. (8/10)

@trussliz In November 2019, following the awful flooding in South Yorkshire, I warned that climate change would make flooding more frequent and more destructive, and that flood defence funding was more crucial than ever. Still there was no action from the Government. (9/10)

@trussliz Now, after a weekend of flooding in the wake of #StormCiara, I have once again written to the Government urging them to finally put their money where their mouth is and properly fund Leeds's flood defences in the Budget next month. (10/10)