THE North West Green Party has called for ‘urgent action’ on climate change as extreme weather hits the region this week.
 

After the North West was battered by 100mph winds on Wednesday, the party’s lead candidate for the European elections Peter Cranie criticised the Conservatives and UKIP for voting against European action to tackle flooding.
 

Mr Cranie said: “While individual weather events can’t be explicitly linked to climate change the evidence suggests that due to climate change we can expect more of this kind of extreme weather in the future.
 

“For too long politicians have avoided the issue, but now the consequences of a warming planet are here.
 

“David Cameron and Nigel Farage have pulled on their wellies and waders to stand in the flood waters looking sympathetic, while in the European Parliament their party members fail to support action to tackle flooding.”
 

Mr Cranie also claimed that, “While better planning and flood defences will help us mitigate some of the risks of climate change, the only way to properly protect ourselves is to take radical action to lower our reliance on fossil fuels.”
 

Meanwhile Cumbria County Council has announced that it will commit an extra £992,000 towards the clean-up and repairs bill caused by the recent floods and storms.

Speaking at a budget setting meeting in Kendal , Coun Jo Stephenson, the Lib Dem group leader on the authority and CCC’s finance portfolio holder, said: ”This situation has been exacerbated by the weather we have experienced in recent weeks and particularly last night.”

He explained that the money had come from £1.4 million of additional resources.