A COUNTY Durham MP quizzed the Prime Minister on the Government’s Storm Arwen response after residents were left without heating and electricity for over a week.
Mary Kelly Foy, Labour MP for City of Durham, said stricken residents throughout the region were “left without a Government that cares” after a week-long delay to send in the army for extra support.
“Storm Arwen left thousands of people in Bearpark, Ludworth, Sherburn and Waterhouses, without heating or electricity, yet it took five days for a ministerial statement to be made and a week to send in the army,” she said.
“My constituents weren’t just left without power, they were left without a government that cares.
“Can the Prime Minister look me in the eye and honestly say he did everything he could, as soon as he could, to help the people of Durham?”
My constituents in Durham were left without heating and electricity for over a week, yet the Government waited days before lifting a finger to help.@BorisJohnson says he did everything he could to help.
— Mary Kelly Foy MP (@marykfoy) December 8, 2021
The man can't open his mouth without lying. #PMQs #Resign pic.twitter.com/A0AcFfpY3k
Read more: Power restored to 240,000 North East homes after Storm Arwen
But Mr Johnson responded to say the Government was on top of helping out those in need.
He said: “I was in contact with local representatives of the local authorities, the army, Northern Powergrid, to see what more we could do assist them in restoring power.
“I sympathise very much with the families who lost power for an unconscionably long period. We must learn the lessons from storms Arwen and Barra and make sure nothing like that happens again. “
Power has now been reconnected in 240,000 homes across the North East following the disruption caused by Storm Arwen.
Northern Powergrid announced the news on Tuesday evening while naming Arwen as “the worst storm in over 20 years”.
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.
For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel