If, you can believe it, that the Government has contingency plans etc, then why are some Councils, in Devon, Cornwall, CHARGING householders for sandbags?.

Contingency funds was the term I used. Having worked, a couple of decades back, for a local authority’s Borough Engineers dept I know that contingency planning is done, properly, at the local level. If some of the authorities you list are charging for sandbags then they’d better prepare to make refunds. Central Govt. has already decreed sandbags are free.

It was on Sky news today, that at least 1 in 6 householders who have been flooded out, will be unable to get their properties Insured in the future.

Then if they’ve knowingly bought a home thats at risk of flooding I’d recommend they seek advice on what to do to prepare for the next time we get rainfall of the like not seen in two centuries. Just like if they’d bought a house under the flightline from Heathrow I’d suggest they should take measures for noise abatement. Dont see how the Govt should be held financially accountable for peoples lack of dilligence in their house purchasing decisions?.

Is the Government going to pay these unfortunate, uninsurable householders Insurance Policies for them, out of their bottomless pit of contingency fund?.

No. Why should they?.

We have seen householders, standing waist deep in water in their own homes, a little more than wet carpets Jonesy.

No not really it isnt. If they are waist deep in water the carpets are most assuredly wet. The house will need to be drained, cleaned, carpets and furniture replaced and tears dried. Then….well…thats life pretty much back to normal isnt it?. Its a bit of flooding man….its not the damned Asian tsunami!.

If this had happened in your home, would you still post the same answer as you have?.

No because I’d be too close to the topic for an objective view. Just the same as the plight of unemployed binmen in Solihull is likely more of a mind focussing issue if you happen to be a binman in Solihull!. Governance means taking a more big-picture view. Not getting caught up in the emotion of the moment.

And how does an elderly couple, late 60s early 70s cope?.and the disabled?. they can’t carry furniture upstairs to protect it, let alone lift it to do so. Not quite as simple as you make out, is it?.

I’d presume they would get help. In their 60’s and 70’s they’d have friends, neighbours, children, family to assist them. If they were unfortunate enough to not be in a position to get easy assistance they likely lose their furniture…unlucky. If you’re in your 60’s and 70’s and you live next to the Thames in Berkshire or on the lowlands in Somerset you’ve seen flooding before and, if you havent made proper preparation for a repeat, I’m sorry but more fool you.

Bottom line Jim all you’ve written is a very emotive, handwringing, plea for the poor souls of Berkshire etc but nowhere have you made a case for taking a penny out of the foreign aid budget?.

Hang on John, when we moved here 38 yrs ago, there was no mention whatsoever that this was a flood plain, it’s only come to light, that we do, about 10 yrs ago, so should I have done what you suggested 38yrs ago, “Just in case?”

Had you not noticed any flooding before in the intervening 28yrs Jim?. If not I’d suggest that its more the unique (so far) meteorological conditions thats caused the issues for you than your location?.

if they don’t want to be a part of the UK and they want to be independent then why should they have our money they should either have to create their own currency or go to the euro, under no sircumstances should they get the pound

This is because the whole thing is more about a select few Scots wanting to grab north sea oil and keep the proceeds for their own ends than anything well thought through. Oddly enough the media haven’t connected the dots with Salmond to what amounts to a barely disguised oil grab. This is possibly because he isnt from Texas!.

That’s like saying I lent you a perfectly good car, now you’ve let it run out of petrol, and you’re miffed I want it back. Those were Scottish waters before the Union, and will be afterwards.

Not really Al no. Scottish waters extend 12 miles same as English waters do. The fields inside that limit absolutely are sovereign territory…but thats not really all that great a proportion of them is it?. The Buzzard field, for example, is 100km off shore….the Brent field even further. You may say that the oil falls under the Scottish EEZ…but only the way the EEZ is drawn today. If you look at what the English EEZ would be with an arc swung off from Berwick you’ll see that a good proportion of the oil is also in the English EEZ.

So this is more like a car that parks near you, that we’ve helped you service and maintain, suddenly becoming yours because you say so and that despite us having fair claim on it too…isnt it?.

Moggy

Post #55 I think it was chap spelled Scotland with 2 t’s.

Al,

So you’re quite happy with the SNP’s oil grab?. Fair enough…one question though….what is Scotland going to do when it eventually runs out or, rather, the alternate technologies (that global reserves dwindling force us to develop) make those last remaining stocks uneconomical to exploit?. Much as I love a good single malt and have spent and will spend holiday time up near Ft William I dont think there’s enough in either to keep you going up there?!

Al….sorry I thought we’d departed from sensible conversation when you started putting words in Charlie’s mouth then accused him of oppressing you….then you went off on some lunatic diatribe about Thatcher???

If we are talking rationally what makes you think you’ll be allowed to keep the same EEZ as that above?. If you are a separate and competing nation why should you be entitled to priority over an equally legitimate English EEZ claim?.

If it makes it easier to picture some of the biggest new finds are in the Auk, Fulmar and Clyde fields which are in the UK zone just to the left of the point on your map where the three diagonals come in from Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands. There are many fields further north of course that dont conflict with the English EEZ which is fine, but, your figures were that it was 96% of UK wells are in Scottish waters are clearly inaccurate unless you really do expect the rest of the UK to let the status quo stand….something possibly a touch naive!.

Much though I dislike both of them, Salmond, like Blair is an extremely shrewd politician. I think he did misjudge the EU and currency reaction but that’s because like the other shrewd politician I mentioned, arrogance sometimes gets in the way of calculation.

I have always had a feeling that he would not be that sorry for “no” vote because what the shrewd politician probably really wants is a very devolved Scotland but still nicely featherbedded by the Union.

..and that last line is the key point…the noted Glaswegian comedian Kevin Bridges put it dead straight on Radio 4 a few weeks ago…to paraphrase him he said “the Scots want to have a go at independence but want a guarantee that says that the UK have to take them back again if they stuff it up after a year!”. Presumably that would also entail the rest of the Union cleaning up whatever mess they made in the process.

Although you have to admit that it comes pretty close to the first example……particularly the reference to the fish being a bream, which I have never thought of as being a large fish!

Ex wife threw a can of tuna at me once…not sure that counts?. Got to admit, had I witnessed said bream related slapping, I may have chortled slightly before agreeing that as a mature and sensible adult you cannot condone such actions.