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First of all, let me say that I have the greatest sympathy for anybody who has suffered in the floods this year. We have escaped relatively unscathed where I live so I consider myself lucky.

We have been told that the Defence College are losing a proportion of our trainees on open-ended "flood defence duties" based in Berkshire.

A thought occurred to me. The South West has been in dire straits for over six weeks now and to be frank, not a lot of help had been forthcoming from the government in that time.

However, now that areas of Berkshire, Surrey etc. have found themselves in a similar situation, all the stops seem to have been pulled out.

I watched with interest a TV news interview with an inhabitant of the village of Wraysbury yesterday complaining that it had taken a whole four hours before any assistance had arrived, in the shape of a detachment of naval personnel armed with rugged transport and sandbags.

Perhaps the South West might be compared to New Orleans when it comes to national priorities?

I may have this wrong or mis-read from some news web sites. As I understood it, for some time local councils were actually refusing assistance from armed forces and in at least one instance were turned away when some army officers arrived to reconnoitre a particular situation. I thought at the time, what fools these people are.
This was a long time prior to the Thames flooding incidents.

You are right of course Mick, but I used the reference to service personnel as an example, and even so, the assistance of troops was not offered in the South West until several weeks after the problems began, if I recall correctly. Certainly there was no turnout of service personnel to be on task four hours after the floods first hit and certainly, there has been no mass preparation of service personnel on the scale we saw at Cosford, and, as I understand it, other military training establishments, today.

Further, I note that the "money no object" comment from call me dave, seemed also to coincide with the Thames Valley floods.

When I used to be an emergency planning officer in sleepy Shrewsbury flooding was a regular occurrence by the Severn. We always managed at the time, however it was not as severe as it is now. We had VERY close working relationships with the military especially the RAF both at Cosford and at Shawbury and army at Shrewsbury. If we ever needed their help, subject to other more pressing needs, we could call upon them. However in such circumstances it would have been at the discretion of the Gold Commander, usually a very senior police officer, to make that call after discussion with all interested parties. Why they didn't in this case until it was too late beggars belief in my professional opinion. Always, always, better to have people in place waiting to be deployed/used rather than sitting at home or in barracks miles away or whatever. Saves you running to catch up. Damn poor in my book, wouldn't have happened on my watch.

Gary M.

The mobilization of the students and staff at Cosford today was initiated at CoBRA level, as were the mobilizations elsewhere. The offers of help in the South West were initiated at local unit commander level.

Is there a geographical correlation between the flooded areas locations and the increased activity levels of government senior ministers?

Jumper wrote:Is there a geographical correlation between the flooded areas locations and the increased activity levels of government senior ministers?

That was part of my supposition but maybe it's just my over-developed cynical streak

I'm now of the opinion that my Cynical Event Horizon threshold is dangerously low and in need of sandbagging to avoid inundation of false hope.
It seemed that following the mysterious evaporation of the hapless environment minister, followed by the slagging off of the quango bod, the PM bought new wellies when one's constituency became threatened.

Also, of course, "money no object" hopes were dashed by a Treasury minister blabbing that "money no object" did not necessarily mean "a blank cheque".

Jumper wrote:Is there a geographical correlation between the flooded areas locations and the increased activity levels of government senior ministers?

Nothing but a coincidence, can't be anything else!!!

BTW is there an election looming?

From the argument going on between the EA and Government, i.e. the EA are saying they put up £400k for dredging and the government did not put up anything so dredging did not happen, were the government of the opinion that they had better not make it seem that things were bad, i.e. call in the military but unfortunately, the media showed what was going on.

Sadly this country is run by the South East of England. Many parts of the UK have suffured storm/flood damage in the recent past with the exception of the South East. Now this region is being effected so our politicians suddenly discover they have to justify their existance.

Not really a political person as they all look after them selves anyways, i would have thought by now that most working class/ middle class people would have understood we need to be kept in our place, and as such the goverment will do so at ever opportunity. Also lets not forget this goverment was not elected, as such but fused together so they could get there feet under the table.

Lets hope that when the election comes round all the poor people whom have be left to cope with the floods will not vote them in again, having said that labour have not got the answers either, charity begins at home stope sendding 100's of millions over seas and sort out our own place GREAT BRITAIN.

we are in the 21st century no person in this counrty should be with out an home, or a decent education, next year we will reading and seeing the same issuse on the news nowt will be done. My little rant over and i promise not to talk politics again on a car forum Arctic