'Not just a photo opportunity': Firefighters praise Labour leadership contender's visit to flood-hit Mytholmroyd

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has praised her visit, highlighting that she understood the issues affecting firefighters, unlike politicians who turn up for a photo opportunity and ignore the issues.

Last week, the FBU strongly rebuked the Prime Minister for failing to visit flood-hit communities, including those visited by Long-Bailey in West Yorkshire, and said he should be “ashamed” of the government’s failure to plan for flooding in the long-term.

Pete Smith, FBU Yorkshire and Humberside executive council member, said: “We often get politicians coming to visit flooding sites for a photo opportunity who then rush back to Westminster to ignore our problems until the next floods.

"This time, the Prime Minister didn’t even bother to do that.

“But Rebecca Long-Bailey’s visit was different.

"She understands that our flood response has been undermined by a decade of austerity and she gets that we need a statutory duty to respond to flooding.

"She knows that, for us, climate change is an industrial issue.

"We’re on the front line of the climate emergency – and Rebecca has the right plan to fight it."

Ms Long-Bailey's visit comes after her Labour leadership rival Lisa Nandy visited neighbouring Sowerby Bridge to speak to businesses and homeowners affected by the flooding caused by Storm Ciara, which hit the region on February 9.