To have no sympathy with Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee for having their house flooded

[ReallyTired]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26184129

I feel more sorry for people in council housing along the river than multi millionaires who can CHOOSE where to live.

If you buy a multi million pound house by the river thames then you should not be surprised if it gets flooded. I don't agree with the idea of dredging the river thames as I feel it would destroy wild life.

I agree with them that planning permission should not be given for properties that are guarenteed to flood. Or if people must build on the flood plain then the houses should be built on stilts so that the occupants stay dry. My parents' house is on the flood plain and it is built two feet off the ground so reduce the chances of getting flooded.

[issey6cats]

i feel so sorry for anyone affected by this flooding wherever they are and how ever much money they have, the after effects when the water does go down are going to be horrendous, not only the damage to property and gardens, but the devestation to the wildlife and farmers whos fields have been flooded to take the overspill from the pumps , i moan about living in hilly yorkshire where it rains a lot but the town i live in does not flood, but the next town to us does flood on a regular basis and have seen how bad it is , this is also going to affect everyone in the future eg, food which is grown here crops and yields will be low next spring so food will be more expensive, insurance policies for everyone will go up to recoup the costs to the flood areas, its not just here on mailand uk, there was a post on facebook the other day a horse rescue in ireland lost most of their buildings to this big storm must have been terrifying for the horses and other animals

[Freddiefrog]

Much of the flooding here (am in Thames valley) isn't spreading from the river breaking its banks. The area is so saturated it is coming up from underground. We are half a Mile from the river and the village is under.

Same for my parents, also Thames Valley. They've never flooded before, the river is quite away from them. A lot of the areas that are currently flooded have also never flooded before

They have a big house though, so don't deserve any sympathy

[kmc1111]

To me it's like people who buy million dollar property's on the beach that are 100% going to end up in the ocean sooner rather than later, who then seem surprised and outraged that the ocean keeps getting closer and closer.

I feel terribly sorry for all the people worldwide who have had little to no choice in where they live, who are having to watch the ocean edge ever closer. I have no sympathy with people who could buy property anywhere in the world, but who choose to buy a house that's bound to be destroyed in their lifetime and then complain about it.

Daniels chose to buy a house that is a massive, massive flood-risk, when he had a vast array of far less risky housing options available. It's like buying a house at the foot of an active volcano when you could just as easily buy a similar house at the peak of a nearby mountain. It sucks for you if your house gets covered in lava, but perhaps there's a lesson there?

[SelectAUserName]

I have sympathy for anyone who suffers something as horrendous as flooding.

I don't criticise anyone for choosing to live on a flood plain when so many other factors also influence housing choice (not least availability), and when the flooding we're seeing now is not run-of-the-mill.

I save my criticism for a government whose priorities are more about making their rich business cronies even richer and demolishing the welfare state at the expense of the most vulnerable and needy in society than they are about sensible, sustainable forward-planning for environmental change.

Luckily, I have a small amount of criticism to spare for anyone who can't even summon up the basic human decency to feel sorrow or empathy for someone whose home has been devastated, on the grounds of the size of their bank balance. Bet you weren't complaining about Daniels' multi-million pound status when his accountant was submitting his tax return, OP.

[NickNacks]

Bet Princes William and Harry turning up to help us will really cheer you up OP :-)

[RufusTheReindeer]

One assumes that these flood plains were deemed safe to build upon by the planning departments of county councils

[daisychain01]

This post say so much more for ReallyTired than it can ever say about Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee.

Yes I do have sympathy for any human being whose home is devastated by flood. It must be heart-breaking to lose all their treasures, maybe photos, letter, cards and things of no material value but their whole life history washed away by a load of smelly water.

I have always thought, of all people in showbiz, actually Paul and Debbie are a loving couple, who behave impeccably whenever they are interviewed or on TV.

[emotionsecho]

I wondered how long it would be before the "rich people in big, expensive houses by the Thames deserve no sympathy" posts started.

Nice how the OP dresses it up as a concern for wildlife and less well off people, but in fact is just a deeply unpleasant person. No doubt all these well off people also deserve having their houses looted or trees falling on their expensive cars - how very dare they expect help and sympathy when a Greater Crested Newt might have been flushed out of their habitat by the flooding rivers.

[PooroldJumbo]

Having absolutely no sympathy for PD and DM is does not place you in a good light OP. They may well have a larger financial cushion to help them through the flooding than others but you are still talking about their home.

How do you feel about the man who is holding back the water from his million pound house in the Somerset Levels? If he looses his fight will you feel no sympathy for him either, just because he is rich?

[Panzee]

Maybe all the rich people should live up the mountains and the poor people should live by the rivers? Then we can feel sorry for flood victims because they're poor.

[ReallyTired]

I do have sympathy for those are are flooded. I don't have sympathy with those who blame polititicans for a natural disaster. I am sorry that the Daniels house has been flooded, but there is nothing that the Enviroment Agency could have done to have stopped the flood happening.

[YouseewhathappensLarry]

I feel sorry for anyone who's house is flooded

[Pigsmummy]

I feel sorry for them and everyone else flooded. It's horrible and I don't think that sympathy should be measured in how much you are worth or how much you pay for your home.

I am going to be in temporary accomadation until April due to a flood (not weather related though), dealing with the insurance company was horrendous, having to try to live in flooded property, moving house at very short notice and seeing property damaged is awful.

I met Paul and Debbie once and they seemed nice, a bit orange, very short but pleasant enough people.

[HauntedNoddyCar]

They've been flooded before so presumably this wasn't a surprise. Worst weather for decades etc. I'm sure it is horrid for them and take no glee in it but I daresay they will suffer less than those who have fewer options and have to find somewhere to live.

[Feminine]

What l don't understand, is why on er you felt the need to write your post op

[Retropear]

Nice

[WooWooOwl]

You've changed your tune a bit there then ReallyTired!

What about people in council housing who didn't choose where they live but are blaming politicians and the environment agency?

Do they get to be blessed with your sympathy?

[Chippednailvarnish]

I do have sympathy for those are are flooded. I don't have sympathy with those who blame polititicans for a natural disaster

You really are scraping the barrel with this argument.
We live on a small island, without enough housing available for the inhabitants. Because of housing pressures homes have been built on or near flood plains. This along with planning departments not allowing flood "resistant" buildings, lack of dredging and climate change have created a situation far worse than it needs to be. That is why people are angry with politicians - the flooding would not have been so bad if a cohesive, well planned approach had been taken in the first place.

You ignorance is breathtaking and your plain jealousy toward "multi millionaires" is just downright wierd.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

You ignorance is breathtaking

That!

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

or this….

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

?

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

[Chippednailvarnish]

D'oh typo!

[candycoatedwaterdrops]

I, too, hope you have a cactus poo.

[LaurieFairyCake]

I'm really surprised at the kicking Really is getting.

Having been rich enough and very, very poor I have much less sympathy reserved for rich people as having money can buy your way out of trouble fairly easily.

I have been moved to tears by stories of fisherman families unsure if insurance will pay outing their boat, single mum families with no insurance as they couldn't afford it who can't actually leave the attic of their house as there's nowhere to go.

I would be much less moved to hear that someone rich is inconvenienced and has moved to the Savoy until it dries out.

My own roof is coming in a bit due to the storm so will have to contact the insurance company or pay to fix it (lead flashing likely blown up) - I don't even feel bad for myself as there are folks who have much less than me.