Labour MPs criticised for asking public to donate to flood relief fund
Emily Price
Two Labour MPs have been criticised for setting up crowd funders to help pay for the clean up operation in Pontypridd following devastating flooding caused by Storm Bert at the weekend.
A major incident was declared in the Rhondda Cynon Taf region on Sunday after between 200 and 300 properties were affected by rising water.
After visiting the area, Rhondda and Ogmore MP Chris Bryant launched a Go Fund Me page urging the public to “give generously” to those who had “lost everything”.
The fund raiser has a target of £20,000 and has so far raised £4,200.
Backlash
MP for Pontypridd Alex Davies-Jones also launched a “Pontypridd flood relief fund” via Go Fund Me.
She met her £10,000 target in less than two days.
However, the pair received a backlash on social media after questions were raised about why two Labour MPs were calling on the public to donate to flood victims when their party is in power in Westminster.
One commenter on X said: “It’s insanity that you expect this to be crowdfunded, while you send billions of our hard earned taxes abroad. Labour are the biggest disgrace in British history.”
Another said: “English Labour MP begs for charity for victims of flooding in Wales. English Labour are in power in both countries, yet won’t spend a penny help.”
Residents in Rhondda and Pontypridd who were impacted by torrential rain and flooding in 2020 say lessons were not learned from Storm Dennis.
Andrew Morgan, leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) council, says he was “amazed” that Storm Bert was only categorised as a yellow weather alert.
A clean up operation has begun but residents in affected areas say they do not believe the chaos will be cleared by Christmas.
Support
Shadow Welsh Secretary Mims Davies has called on the UK and Welsh government’s to speed up their help for flood-hit communities.
She said: “The need for emergency support from the UK Government is clear, as some local MPs have taken to setting up local crowdfunding pages to assist residents without insurance and without direct clear financial support.
“As it’s currently uncertain what funds will be coming from the Labour Welsh Government, local communities desperately need to know the two governments on either end of the M4 are joined up and what they can expect in this horrendous aftermath.”
Both Ms Davies and the Shadow DEFRA Secretary Victoria Atkins are together seeking answers from ministers on the “lack of preparedness”.
Disruption
The Shadow Welsh Secretary said: “The people of Wales have been suffering torrential rain, significant road and rail travel disruption, business disruption and loss of life in many of the same areas that were struck previously in 2020 by Storm Dennis.
“Communities up and down Wales are rightly asking both Labour governments where are the lessons that should have been learnt from 2020?
“It’s now abundantly clear that there was a lack of preparedness; and there is a series of pertinent questions that need to be urgently.
“How many generators are there standing by? Was a COBRA meeting convened with the Energy, Welsh and DEFRA Secretaries? How much did the Welsh Government slash its flood preparedness budget by? And what additional support is the UK Government actually offering?”
“As it’s currently uncertain what funds will be coming from the Labour Welsh Government, local communities desperately need to know the two governments on either end of the M4 are joined up and what they can expect in this horrendous aftermath.”
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The Environment Secretary Steve Reed says the UK’s flood defences are in the “worst condition on record”.
The UK Government says it has been in close contact with Welsh Government throughout this week and has offered to provide further support.
A spokesperson said: “The devastating impact of Storm Bert is being felt across Wales. We are thinking of those affected, as well as working with partners to provide support to residents and businesses to deal with the impact.
“Local councils have led a strong and proportionate response, supported by Welsh Government, UK Government and other relevant organisations where necessary.
“Continued investment in flood defences from the Welsh Government, emergency funds for households via local councils and first-time UK Government funding to keep coal tips safe represent a coordinated response to help residents and businesses deal with the impact of flooding and ensure longer term safety and resilience.”
Wellies
Alex Davies-Jones said: “In times like this, there is nothing stronger than the power of community. Many constituents in Pontypridd got in touch wanting to offer financial support to those affected but not knowing how best to direct it, and the crowdfunder that I launched as a result has raised over £10,000 in just a few short days.
“I won’t apologise for trying to support the community in every way possible, whether that’s donning my wellies and helping on the ground or co-ordinating the financial generosity of residents.
“It is not the only support available. Continued investment in flood defences from the Welsh Government, an emergency fund from the local council and first-time UK government funding to keep coal tips safe represent a coordinated response to help residents and businesses deal with the impacts of flooding and ensure longer term safety and resilience.”
Chris Bryant was invited to comment but did not respond.
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Yep because the Tory party had a good record on flooding, we must trust them.
https://bylinetimes.com/2023/11/15/nearly-6-million-homes-at-risk-of-flooding-as-rishi-sunak-cut-flood-protection-schemes/
But Labour in Wales need to get answers out very quickly however with such storms, what can they do when the levels rise so quickly.
That link relates to an England-only budget by the Environment Agency. You are in Wales now, Jeff. The person repsonsible sits in our Senedd and wears a Labour rosette. Can’t blame nasty Tories down the M4 like they did in the 2020 floods.
Let me get this straight Labour has been responsible for the environment in Wales and have failed to produce any viable flood defences as evident by yet again flooding to reoccur in the same places and some ppl are blaming the tories surely the blame needs to be pointed out to the Labour government in Wales. As for the two clowns who set up a fund to help clear up the mess is beyond contempt. They are treating their constituents as fool.s.A cobra meeting has not been set up as the Labour govt in Westminster does not care. Ppl are… Read more »
It’s not just online criticism, no one around here in Ponty trusts Alex Davies-Jones. She’s a slimy politician with a history of dodgy dealing, and it is morally bankrupt for an MP from the governing party to beg the community for money for their mistakes.
All around town, normal people have been cleaning and fixing things up whilst politicians and their camera crews film them looking all sad next to the river. What have the Labour lot done for us? What are they doing to do for us? Nothing I’m sure.
I don’t doubt that Alex Davies-Jones is a slimy politician but she’ll face strong competition in that category from Chris Bryant.
Unfortunately they were dwp enough to vote her in
Opportunistic posturing from 2 Labour M.P’s when they should have been pressing decision makers within their Westminster and Cardiff regimes to get on with short term remedies and longer term corrective actions that will hold water ( pun intended). Eluned already has her deflections in place – “can’t do nuthin’ about water when it comes up through the ground, see” – when we all know that water has always risen from the ground when a place is waterlogged. Despite such self evident truths local authorities continued for years allowing planning permissions for buildings on flood plains with loads of concrete… Read more »
I’ll donate £100 to the fund to send Chris Bryant back to High Wycombe.
How about the cash Chris Bryant got for ‘community projects’ from the Penycymoedd wind farm being diverted back to replanting the trees at the top of the catchment?
Your comment will be regarded as blasphemy among those devotees of the green gospels as exploited by likes of Bute Energy and other corporates and institutions
Nothing to do with the matter on hand. But remember Bryant has no shame remember this the money he got for selling his flat in London paid for by the tax payer yet ppl still continue to elect this bloke & the local Labour Party had not deselected him to find a local man.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/650000-profit-chris-bryant-mp-16116555.amp
Make the public pay for everything – twice. That’s the neoliberal dogma of every government since Thatcher. And Starmer has always struck me as something of a Milton Friedman devotee.