Prime Minister Cameron moves to take the reins in UK flood crisis
British Prime Minister David Cameron cancels Middle East visit to lead flooding response, warns that worst is far from over and pledges to step-up military role in rescue effort
David Cameron served notice that the floods may worsen over the coming days as he underlined the gravity of the crisis by announcing that he is to cancel his first visit to the Middle East as prime minister next week.
In his first press conference in the UK since the summer, the prime minister announced that he was stepping-up the role of the military in helping with the rescue effort.
By the end of Tuesday, 1,600 service men and women – with thousands more on call – will have been deployed around the country under the command of Major General Patrick Saunders.
In the “most serious developing situation” in the Thames valley, the military have built a 60-metre wall at Datchet. A 100-strong company of the 1st Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers has been deployed in Wraysbury.
The prime minister, who feared that the government was failing to handle the crisis amid apparent bickering by ministers, moved to impose his authority by saying that he would lead the national response as he said that 65 million cubic metres of water has flooded onto the Somerset Levels.
Speaking from Downing Street, Cameron sought to move on to a new footing by saying that money would be no object as he lavished praise on the staff of the much criticised environment agency.
But he said that the worst is far from over and that there are still sixteen severe flood warnings – indicating a danger to life – and 133 flood warnings, meaning that more floods are expected, and a further 225 flood alerts.
