What is a Cobra meeting and why is one needed for the floods
12 November 2019, 08:51
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chair an emergency Cobra meeting to discuss the response to flooding in Yorkshire and the East Midlands.
Here is everything you need to know about what happens in a government Cobra meeting.
What does Cobra stand for?
COBR stands for Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms. Cobra meetings are held in Downing Street, within Cabinet Office buildings.
Why are Cobra meetings called?
Cobra, often referred to as an emergency council, convenes to discuss high priority issues and plan government responses in times of emergency.
Who attends the meetings?
Cobra meets to discuss issues that cross departmental borders within government, meaning that the make-up of the Cobra committee depends entirely on the nature of the issue.
Why is there a Cobra meeting about the floods?
Extreme weather conditions in the north of country have caused 1,200 properties to be evacuated and 400 homes to be flooded.
The Environment Agency has 38 flood warnings in place as well as five severe warnings on the River Don in South Yorkshire.
Following criticism from Jeremy Corbyn, who said, "If this had happened in Surrey, not Yorkshire or the East Midlands, it seems far more likely that a national emergency would have been declared," a Cobra meeting will take place to discuss the response to the floods.
