It was two years ago this week that Storm Desmond blew into town.

We all have stories to tell about what happened that day and the days that followed. I had to abandon my car in a flood just outside Milnthorpe but many many more suffered much worse. They had to close their businesses or abandon their homes. And it wasn’t just the damage that the flooding did to buildings, road closures meant that businesses had to manage with fewer customers, staff had to take longer to get to work for a really long time.

This was in the run up to Christmas. As you look around at all the decorations people are putting up at the moment have a think about all of it being washed away as it was for many back in 2015. People pulled together and did an amazing job to help friends and neighbours, there were so many stories of astonishing generosity to try to ensure that everyone had a half decent Christmas wherever they were forced to live.

Sadly the story since then has been one of largely feet dragging and delay. We had to wait so much longer than was necessary to get the A591 re-opened. The Prime Minister at the time came up to see us but couldn’t be bothered to even go and have a look at the damage that had been done just up the road by Thirlmere when his helicopter landed in Grasmere.

Even today there are more than a hundred Cumbrian residents who have not been able to return to their homes.

I know the Environment Agency has dredged a lot of stuff out of the Kent in Kendal to help reduce the risk of future flooding and they really want to ensure they do the right thing in the work to protect us from further flood damage they have at last announced they plan to start next year. The staff from the agency I meet are really dedicated, hardworking people who deserve our thanks and praise. But there simply aren’t enough of them. Two years on and still none of the £25 million that we were awarded at the time has been spent on flood defences.

With the result that every time we hear Tomasz Schafernaker or Sarah Keith-Lucas or one of their colleagues warning us about the prospect of rain coming in from the Irish Sea there are still far too many people around here who become justifiably worried about what this will mean for them.

I have put down a motion in the House of Commons that tries to recognise all this and importantly asks the Government to get its finger out and ensure that the work we need is got on with as fast as possible. So we don’t have to suffer like that ever again.

This is my last column before Christmas. I hope you have a relaxed and happy one, free from worry about flooding or anything else. The Farrons are all looking forward to their annual trip over the border into Lancashire to stay with my wife’s family.