James Millar: Tories have questions to answer over flood spending

However watch out for him in 2016, as he embodies two issues set to dominate the political agenda.

He’s a Tory member of the European Parliament, a position that automatically sees him personify his party’s perplexing attitude to the EU – which will come to a head with a referendum this year.

Duncan has recently been handed a job shaping EU policy. Given that the UK could be heading for the exit door that leaves him drawing up plans that may never be implemented in his country.

But it’s the brief he holds that is the other growing area of interest.

He’s helping formulate a European response to climate change.

The clue is in the name – global warming is an issue that requires a global response.

A UN Summit last month was dull, worthy, and apparently successful – but ultimately meaningless to the man in the street.

Then came the rain.

Floods across the country have made climate change seem all too real for too many people.

And while it’s no use getting angry at the weather, steps can be taken to alleviate the impact.

Yet one of the first things the Tories did upon regaining power in 2010 was cut flood defence budgets.

Only to spend the years since announcing emergency funds to help people affected by the extreme weather.

In the north of England there’s a strong suspicion that when the Somerset Levels flooded in 2014 the Coalition Government was quicker to release cash than the current administration has been this time round.

The fact the Lib Dems and Tories were gearing up to scrap for seats in Somerset in 2015 surely had nothing to do with the speed with which the money was found.

It may sound simplistic to say that half a billion pounds was spent on the Thames Barrier to stop London flooding yet nowhere near as much is earmarked for protecting northern towns and cities, but there is a point there.

If George Osborne really believes in a northern powerhouse he’ll have to put his hand in his pocket to stop the machinery getting soggy every few years.

David Cameron’s announced a review of flood defence spending. Cold comfort to those clearing up a Christmas washed out by the weather.

He’s defended current policy, claiming more per head is spent on flood defences in the north of England than in the south.

That’s disingenuous at best.

More health spending goes on sick people than healthy ones – because they need it.

The same is true of parts of the country that routinely get rained on more than others.

It’s not a question of who gets more, it’s a question of whether everyone is getting enough.

The Opposition have a mixed role in all this.

A decent opposition would be taking the Tories to task for letting down all those people enduring, not enjoying, the festive season.

Jeremy Corbyn donned his wellies a few times. In Cumbria he sang Happy Birthday to a woman and made her cry.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, not noted for his good ideas given his track record of praising terrorists and brandishing a murderous dictator’s handbook in the Commons, made the sensible suggestion that all parties work together and take the issue of flood spending out of the political cycle.

How those affected by the floods would wish the politicians were sitting together somewhere, working out how to stop it happening again.

Instead Corbyn and Cameron are stood in someone’s soaking living room having their photo taken.

If both men don’t raise their game on the issue, the picture isn’t going to change and we’ll see the same scenes of flooded homes again and again in years to come.

Follow James on Twitter – @PoliticalYeti