'Residents are going through hell as a result of flooding'

Many residents and business owners around Kilburn in particular have had their lives turned upside down, and they are going through hell as a result of flooding that should never have happened. Other parts of the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency I represent have also been badly affected, including South Hampstead, Belsize and South End Green.

Tulip Siddiq is pushing for action to prevent flooding happening again (Image: Archant)

I have been out speaking to residents these areas and offering help and advice where I can. Anyone who has been affected is welcome to contact my office, and I would also encourage those who can to donate to some of the local groups which are raising money to support flood victims.

The fact that some of the same areas have flooded multiple times in a matter of weeks shows that something is going seriously wrong. I’ve written repeatedly to Thames Water about the floods and I’m pushing for action to ensure that they cannot happen again. There must be a full investigation to get the bottom of what went wrong and improvements so our drainage systems can cope with the heavy rainfall we’re seeing. I will keep pushing for this in the weeks and months ahead.

Climate change is making these extreme weather events and the devastation they can cause far more likely. We therefore need to see real leadership from government to tackle the causes of this and improve our defences against the impacts of it.