Eric Pickles at the helm of the Environment Agency (at the moment.)

Communities secretary Eric Pickles has announced £30m of further government funding to help areas devastated by the recent floods. However, Labour has said this simply “reverses” cuts already made to the flood defence budget.

http://blueandgreentomorrow.com/2014/02/06/eric-pickles-reveals-extra-30m-funding-for-flood-repairs/

Jeez I hope he doesn't go down to the coast where all the problems are as he may fall into the water and end up getting harpooned by a passing whaler.

You've put the wrong link on Irn lol, must be the thought of all that water being displaced.

Sassy wrote:You've put the wrong link on Irn lol, must be the thought of all that water being displaced.

Sorted

She said that the budget had been cut from £670m in 2010/11 to £573m in 2011/12, with similar figures in following years. She added that the announcement was simply a “reversal” of the cuts and as such, showed that the government had “got it wrong”.

Now ain't that an understatement!

Lets see now who heads up the environment agency. Appointed by Labour its Chris can't quite remember his name. The one that cant be bothered to go there. Former Labour cabinet minister help me out comrades.

I will admit this this debacle is a fair attack on this govt I hold my hands up the civil service and politicians have out fresh water oyster first and people second.##As for Pickles he is picking up the mess of the Labour bloke who you have conveniently forgot to mention.

I repeat the govt has managed this really badly. Any comments on my observations about Chris?

Not likely as you airbrush out all Labours faults.

BTW Sassy for years you denied you were Labour suddenly you are sucking up to every Labour lunatic on here.

Lord Chris Smith apparent does 11 jobs, that should not be allowed, although the Telegraph was saying he had done a good job with depleted funds.  I happen to disagree, I know the Somerset levels very well and what has happened to them makes me really mad as I lived in Somerset for 16 years and think of it as my spiritual home.

Now Drinky, you are obviously suffering from the effects of old age, because I have told you before.   I was and am a Liberal, old style, much further to the left than Blair, I abhor the Lib Dems, although I voted for Bob Russell while living in Colchester simply because he did a very good job for the area.   Now I have moved and I have joined the Labour Party.   There is much I disagree with, but much I agree with and at the moment they are having a big campaign within the party, actually listening to their consistuents through an online forum and meetings.   If the Greens were bigger, I'd join them instead but they don't even have a candidate in this area.   There is no way, under torture would I vote UKIP, Conservative or Lib Dem.   Now, there's a good chap, write it down so you remember this time and I don't have to go into it again.

Fiddling the figures again Drinky.

What's all this about someone named Chris?

Shows how much you know. Hahaha!

Chris Smith former labour Minisiter is heading up the dept as Chairman, He is pissing of people left right and centre today.

It's a debacle alright and Chris Smith is at the centre of it. That said he govt invgeneral has handled this really badly in fairness. The ministers in charge should lose their post no doubt about it. I have no time for incompetence in pubic service that's for you to defnd.

He didn't handle the situation too well in Somerset did he   

People are understandably very angry.

Eric Pickles just needs to Tek cak and eat more biscuits at the expense of the tax payer.

Fat sleazeball.

Christ, if Pickles decides to go for a swim oin the Somerset levels, we could get flooding from Gloucestershire to Northumberland. At least he could cause another Severn bore.

Lord Smith needs to be removed ASAP. His attitude on his escorted and heavily protected visit to Somerset is nothing more than a sham.

The residents have very right to be furious but after today they must be after his blood.

Arrogant beyond belief.

Indeed he is Gerber and yet hear the lefties on here talking about his part in this debacle. Not a word. Pickles takes over yesterday he is now responsible for everything Smith hasn't done.

Hypocrites and self delusionist the lot of them

Clarkson wrote:Indeed he is Gerber and yet hear the lefties on here talking about his part in this debacle. Not a word. Pickles takes over yesterday he is now responsible for everything Smith hasn't done.

Hypocrites and self delusionist the lot of them

All I hear him spout is £400,000 budget but he managed to find £31 million for a bird house.

Clarkson wrote:Indeed he is Gerber and yet hear the lefties on here talking about his part in this debacle. Not a word. Pickles takes over yesterday he is now responsible for everything Smith hasn't done.

Hypocrites and self delusionist the lot of them

You lie through your teeth, mouth and arse and every other orifice you can manage. I have already said:

Lord Chris Smith apparent does 11 jobs, that should not be allowed, although the Telegraph was saying he had done a good job with depleted funds. I happen to disagree, I know the Somerset levels very well and what has happened to them makes me really mad as I lived in Somerset for 16 years and think of it as my spiritual home.

Sassy wrote:

Clarkson wrote:Indeed he is Gerber and yet hear the lefties on here talking about his part in this debacle. Not a word. Pickles takes over yesterday he is now responsible for everything Smith hasn't done.

Hypocrites and self delusionist the lot of them

You lie through your teeth, mouth and arse and every other orifice you can manage.   I have already said:

Lord Chris Smith apparent does 11 jobs, that should not be allowed, although the Telegraph was saying he had done a good job with depleted funds.  I happen to disagree, I know the Somerset levels very well and what has happened to them makes me really mad as I lived in Somerset for 16 years and think of it as my spiritual home.

He truly is a disgusting little man.

I step over turds with more class than he has.

Luckily he is leaving office in June.

He should but won't go now.

Much more damage can be done between now and then. Maybe his reluctance to meet people adhoc today is because he doesn't wish to appear on camera as knowing absolutely nothing about the environment of which he is head.

A complete and utter prick.

I certainly don't want to defend him, because I'm bloody furious about what has happened, but in all fairness he was told to put farmland at the bottom of the pile and had his budget slashed three years in a row, so I don't think it all falls on his shoulders.

Sassy wrote:I certainly don't want to defend him, because I'm bloody furious about what has happened, but in all fairness he was told to put farmland at the bottom of the pile and had his budget slashed three years in a row, so I don't think it all falls on his shoulders.

Of course you don't. The dredging of the rivers would have incurred minimal cost in comparison. That was his decision to put oysters firs and bird life.

He is a very arrogant man indeed judging by today. Another mince in my mind

Well, the conservatit that went down and didn't even take a pair of wellies was a real shining example lol

Clarkson wrote:

Sassy wrote:I certainly don't want to defend him, because I'm bloody furious about what has happened, but in all fairness he was told to put farmland at the bottom of the pile and had his budget slashed three years in a row, so I don't think it all falls on his shoulders.

Of course you don't. The dredging of the rivers would have incurred minimal cost in comparison. That was his decision to put oysters firs and bird life.

He is a very arrogant man indeed judging by today. Another mince in my mind

Yes indeed, no wonder the public were so angry.  Would it really have killed him to apologise and admit he got it wrong?  

Clarkson wrote:Shows how much you know. Hahaha!

Chris Smith former labour Minisiter is heading up the dept as Chairman, He is pissing of people left right and centre today.

It's a debacle alright and Chris Smith is at the centre of it. That said he govt invgeneral has handled this really badly in fairness. The ministers in charge should lose their post no doubt about it. I have no time for incompetence in pubic service that's for you to defnd.

You mean the Chris Smith that was sacked as a Labour Minister?

You mean the Chris Smith that sits in the House of Lords as an independent with no political affiliation?

You mean the Chris Smith that Caroline Spellman re-appointed as chairman in 2011?

Yes, I remember him now Drinky.   

Ah, I'd forgotten about that, thanks Irn!

I kept looking at his face on TV and wondering what it was I knew about him I couldn't put my finger on.

Yes he was appointed to the job by Labour. Yes he should have been removed before then you would have called it bias like you did about Gove.

Strangely enough I find that the coalition have appointed more Labour politicians than any other party to these jobs. Would you credit that?

Now me old Jock mate. You took the piss out of Fatty who has to take on Smiths mess that was my point.

I believe they have said that they wanted the best people for the job. Apart from Chris Smith, that kinda says it all.

UK floods: Government 'made a mistake' by not dredging



Communities Secretary Eric Pickles says the government "made a mistake" and should have dredged the flood-hit Somerset Levels.

He told the Andrew Marr Show it may have relied to much on the Environment Agency's advice and it now recognises that the area should have been dredged.

The minister apologised "unreservedly" to those affected by the flooding.

It comes as weather and flood warnings are still in place for much of the south-west UK.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26106290

FINALLY an apology.  Perhaps now we'll see some action.

I loved a comment made by a woman flood victim interviewed on Sky this morning.  When told someone had described things as "a success story", she replied "the only success they had this week was getting Chris Smith out alive!"

 :D

Tess. wrote:I loved a comment made by a woman flood victim interviewed on Sky this morning.  When told someone had described things as "a success story", she replied "the only success they had this week was getting Chris Smith out alive!"

 :D

Brilliant, and right on the money too!  Those villagers gave him a seriously and well deserved tough time.

What a mess

I have to say Smith is the epitome of the last Labour govt. He is unwilling to apologise for past mistakes indeed he is unwilling to acknowledge he has made any Irn Bru would be so proud. There is arrogance and then there is contemptuous. He feels he can't be touched so is saying to the people FUCK YOU I DONT CARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The government have apologised for what has taken place but this has now gone way beyond party politics. It's about as near as you can get to a national emergency and it's time all our politicians put their shoulders to the wheel to come with a plan to get this sorted now and in the future.

Stop the arguing, stop the bickering and just get on with it and find the money to fix it.

Most definitely is a national emergency and Cameron should be calling together everyone with knowledge to deal with this, from all areas, because it's going to hit the economy hard, and we don't need that.