The recent unprecedented rains have left businesses and families in crisis.  Many people have literally lost everything, and because of previous flood damage in their area are uninsured.  It’s NOT as simple as “they should have bought insurance” - household and property insurance policies are excluding flood damage for many people.  

What is the UK government doing?  Not a lot.  The Prime Minister has refused to convene COBRA, the committee set up to deal with this exact type of situation.  Without it, relief is not being effectively coordinated or aid released.  He has not yet visited any of the areas devastated by floods.  This isn’t a slow response it’s a deliberate refusal to do what’s necessary.  It’s a disgrace, when there is a means to coordinate help. 

Yes.  This petition should rightly be a PARLIAMENT petition but there is currently no Petitions Committee to appeal to, due to the recent general election.  That’s right.  There is currently NO official way to petition our Government.  But we see you doing nothing Prime Minister, and we call upon you to convene COBRA now, when it is urgently needed.

The Institute for Government  details “COBR’s purpose is high-level coordination and decision-making in the event of major or catastrophic emergencies, including natural disasters, terrorist attacks and major industrial accidents or disruption. Depending on the emergency, officials and agencies most closely involved will already be handling many of the immediate decisions – for example in a terrorist attack the emergency services and security services will already be responding, while in the event of floods or other natural disaster the Environment Agency, local authorities and emergency services will be coordinating immediate action.

The 2004 Civil Contingencies Act set out responsibilities at local, national, agency and departmental level for different kinds of emergencies. COBR’s purpose is to keep ministers appraised of the situation, to ensure that the wider response of the government is coordinated, to record and disseminate key decisions and updates to all relevant ministers and officials, and to provide ministers and the prime minister with up to date information on the situation for any decisions that they may need to make.”

I live on a hill. I’m lucky, and in a position to help those in Need, not need help myself.  AND By the way, I don’t really believe these petitions do any good, but if they raise public awareness of what is frankly a national disgrace, all well and good.