As many of you know Tim Farron and I have been fighting for months to persuade the government to apply for EU solidarity funding for flood victims. The European Commission had confirmed to me last December that this money was there for the taking, so it was flabbergasting that the government had so far refused to apply on the flimsy grounds that it would not offer immediate help (an application takes a few months to process). The real reason I suspect was that the government was worried about upsetting its eurosceptic backbenchers by asking for help from the rest of Europe in a time of need.
So it came as something of a shock to find out today that finally the Conservatives have U-turned and will be making a last-minute application. This is a huge victory for the Liberal Democrats, who have been piling the pressure on the government on this issue from day one. And of course it is fantastic news for the communities across the North of England and Scotland whose lives were turned upside-down by the floods and who will finally get the additional funding they deserve.
Last week Tim Farron came to Brussels and together we handed over a petition signed by over 2000 of his constituents to senior MEPs, who promised they would approve a grant once an application is made. So the groundwork has already been laid. I’ll now be working hard in the European Parliament to ensure we can get the funding signed off and given to the people on the ground who need it as soon as possible. This money can be used to offset the costs of clean-up operations as well as the rebuilding of vital infrastructure. We now need to make sure it gets to the local authorities who have been affected by the floods and isn’t siphoned off by the Treasury.
I’m delighted that we’ve been able to deliver for all those who signed Tim Farron’s petition calling on the government to apply. This shows that when people get involved in politics and make their voice heard, they can make a real difference. That’s what Liberal Democrats are all about, empowering local communities and fighting for a fairer deal for those the Tories would rather forget about altogether.
* Catherine Bearder is a Liberal Democrat MEP for the South East and Leader of the European Parliament Liberal Democrat Group.
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5 Comments
The Welsh Lib Dems sent a letter about this ages ago to the Govnt. If they are upset about their ‘outers’ and delayed the application it would show that even floods and devastation and the safety of the people come second to the Tory Party. Agreed, pressure should be made to ensure it does not go into Osborne’s coffers..The message should be shouted from the rooftops that the EU has its advantages.
@nigel hunter “The message should be shouted from the rooftops that the EU has its advantages.”
Perhaps that is why the Government waited until now, in the countdown to the referendum, to apply for the money.
Labour may be claiming victory on this, but I suspect this is down to the Lib Dems. Only the Lib Dems have presented a clear message on this, and we won in the end
Well done for getting the government to apply for the funds.
However blowing one’s own trumpet when the floods were far more damaging than they need to have been as the LibDems slavishly supported the EU environmental legislation that ended centuries of watershed management in the UK through dredging etc is a bit rich.
I don’t think outside politics you get rewarded for actions you carried out to mitigate a catostrophic mistake you were culpable for in the first place.
You at best get demoted , but usually you rightly get the sack for incompetence.
This was a non-existent party campaign though (as opposed to what Tim did in his constituency). It could have been a really strong issue which Tim could have generated some publicity as the leader for flood affected communities.
His constituency campaign showed his strengths as a local campaigner. The failure to translate that into a meaningful party campaign showed his failings as a leader.
The Lib Dems can’t afford a pary leader who sticks to the comfort blanket of his constituency and lets pitches go by. What happened to those promises of being an energetic and charismatic leader from the summer. He is being a real disappointment as party leader and his lack of inspiration/leadership has been quite a factor in me deciding not to rejoin.