Helen Morgan elected Chair of new Parliamentary flooding group

North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan has been elected Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Flooded Communities.

As the MP for one of England’s most rural and flood-hit constituencies, Helen says she wants to ‘bring a national spotlight’ to issues faced in rural communities like Melverley and Pentre.

Helen has repeatedly called on Ministers to act on the problem, arguing strongly for a plan to manage the Upper Severn Catchment and for the Frequently Flooded Fund eligibility criteria to be expanded.

She is now leading a cross-party group of MPs who have joined together to push for better support for areas that experience regular flooding. More than 30 MPs and peers attended the group’s inaugural meeting this week, which came as heavy rain was battering much of the country.

Floods in Shropshire this week were largely caused by surface water issues, a direct consequence of local authority funding cuts previously raised by the MP.

Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, said, “It is a timely week to have been elected as Chair of the Flooded Communities APPG, given that this is Flood Action Week.

“Flooding is a problem we see first hand in Shropshire all the time. In fact, many roads were impassable after torrential rain earlier this week. Rural residents bear the brunt of this and deserve much more support.

“I'm hoping to bring a national spotlight to flooding as a political issue, especially given the complex issues we face in North Shropshire, particularly at the confluence of the Vyrnwy and Severn near Melverley.

“I also wanted to offer a real thank you to all the MPs and Peers from across the parties who came to our very well-attended first meeting of the new Parliament.”