Jeremy Corbyn has accused the Tories of neglecting northern England in favour of the south as he attacked the government’s “woeful” response to the severe flooding.

The Labour leader said spending on flood defences had fallen in Yorkshire, the northwest and the East Midlands since 2016 – while increasing in the southeast.

Speaking at a rally in Blackpool, he claimed if the flooding had happened in Surrey instead, “it would have been a very different story” and a national emergency declared.

Mr Corbyn rejected claims he was “taking advantage” of the situation politically as he announced that £5.6bn would be spent on flood defences over 10 years as part of Labour’s £250bn “Green Transformation Fund”.

“I think it is necessary and I think it is appropriate, so people understand we are very serious about providing the resources necessary to deal with what are the personal and human disasters of floods,” he said during a visit to one of the worst-hit areas in Doncaster.

He added: “This last week has confirmed what we’ve seen over the last decade – the Tories always ignore the north’s needs. The Conservative government’s response to the floods has been woeful.”

Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Show all 30 1 /30 Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Doncaster Flood water covers the roads and part of local houses in the Fishlake area in Doncaster Getty Images Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Doncaster Members of the Fire and Rescue team carry an elderly resident to dry land amid flooding in Doncaster AFP/Getty Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Doncaster DONCASTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 12: Flood water covers the roads and part of local houses in the Fishlake area on November 12, 2019 in Doncaster, England. More heavy rain is expected in parts of the Midlands and Yorkshire as the Environment Agency issues 30 flood warnings and five severe warnings on the River Don in South Yorkshire. The prime minister is chairing a meeting of the government's emergency committee later today. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) Christopher Furlong Getty Images Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Sheffield A man cycles through a flooded street in South Yorkshire PA Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Doncaster A resident carries a dog to safety on Yarborough Terrace in Doncaster, South Yorkshire PA Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Doncaster A resident inspects floodwater on his doorstep in Bentley, north of Doncaster Reuters Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Doncaster People are ferried to safety on Yarborough Terrace in Doncaster, South Yorkshire after the region enddured a month's worth of rain in a day PA Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Doncaster DONCASTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 12: Flood water covers the roads and part of local houses in the Fishlake area on November 12, 2019 in Doncaster, England. More heavy rain is expected in parts of the Midlands and Yorkshire as the Environment Agency issues 30 flood warnings and five severe warnings on the River Don in South Yorkshire. The prime minister is chairing a meeting of the government's emergency committee later today. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) Christopher Furlong Getty Images Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Leicestershire Delivery lorry stranded in floodwater at Coston Ford in Leicestershire PA Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Rotherham Shop floor of a bed store that has flooded after the River Don burst its banks in South Yorkshire Getty Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Doncaster DONCASTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 12: Flood water covers the garden of a house in the Fishlake area on November 12, 2019 in Doncaster, England. More heavy rain is expected in parts of the Midlands and Yorkshire as the Environment Agency issues 30 flood warnings and five severe warnings on the River Don in South Yorkshire. The prime minister is chairing a meeting of the government's emergency committee later today. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) Christopher Furlong Getty Images Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Derbyshire Flooding on the River Derwent in Belper Mike Saqui/PA Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Doncaster DONCASTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 12: Flood water covers the roads and part of local houses in the Fishlake area on November 12, 2019 in Doncaster, England. More heavy rain is expected in parts of the Midlands and Yorkshire as the Environment Agency issues 30 flood warnings and five severe warnings on the River Don in South Yorkshire. The prime minister is chairing a meeting of the government's emergency committee later today. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) Christopher Furlong Getty Images Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Sheffield A man tries to unblock a drain in Whirlow PA Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Mansfield Torrential rain has led to a mudslide which has forced the evacuation of residents along Bank End Close PA Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England South Yorkshire Flooding on Bridlegate in the town centre of Rotherham Reuters Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England South Yorkshire Birdge on the swollen River Don by Rotherham town centre Reuters Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England South Yorkshire Flooded railway track at Kiveton, South Yorkshire PA Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England South Yorkshire South Yorkshire emergency responders rescue a pair of people stranded on the A633 by Rotherham South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Derbyshire Flooding on the River Rother by Killamarsh in Derbyshire @wendytinley/PA Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England South Yorkshire Flooding by Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield, @Eggy5691/PA Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Rotherham Emergency responders ferry people to safety on the A633 Reuters Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Derbyshire Flooding on the River Derwent in Belper, Derbyshire Mike Saqui/PA Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Derbyshire Flooding at a junction in Belper, Derbyshire Mike Saqui/PA Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Sheffield Saturated ground at Flockton Park in Sheffield, South Yorkshire @DanielH60694431/PA Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England South Yorkshire Vehicles are stranded in floodwater on the A633 by Rotherham Reuters Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England South Yorkshire Vehicles are stranded in floodwater on an industrial park in Rotherham Reuters Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England South Yorkshire Vehicles drive along a flooded road by Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield PA Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England South Yorkshire A car is stranded in floodwater by Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield PA Homes evacuated as flooding chaos strikes England Sheffield A man wades down a flooded road in Whirlow, Sheffield PA

Businessman Shane Miller, who runs a doors and widows business in Doncaster, welcomed Mr Corbyn’s visit, saying: “We need to get the message out. It’s a national emergency.”

Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson also criticised the government for not taking the problem seriously enough as she promoted her own party’s policy of spending £5bn on flood defences.

During a visit to Fishlake, where residents were ordered to evacuate on Sunday, she said the prime minister “should be declaring a national emergency so they can open up the ability to apply to the EU for the emergency funds that are available at times of extreme floods”.

Boris Johnson later emerged from a “Cobra” emergency response committee meeting to announce 100 extra armed services personnel were being deployed to South Yorkshire.

The prime minister also promised funding would be made available to those affected by the floods, in the form of a £2,500 “business recovery grant” and a £500 “community recovery grant” for households.

He said the authorities are working “flat out” to deliver an adequate response, adding: “I know there will be people who feel that that isn’t good enough.

“I know there will be people who are worrying about the damage to their homes, who will be worried about the insurance situation, worried about the losses they face.

“All I want to say to those people is that there are schemes to cover those losses.”

Mr Johnson said the Cobra meeting had resolved to flexibly interpret insurance schemes to “recognise the particular circumstances that people face”.

The flooding came after several areas in Yorkshire and the East Midlands were deluged with a month’s worth of rain in a single day last week. Annie Hall, the former high sheriff of Derbyshire, died after she was swept away by floodwater in Darley Dale, near Matlock.

Further rainfall is expected on Wednesday and Thursday, with the Met Office issuing yellow weather warnings for the midlands, parts of Wales and the southeast.

However five severe “danger to life” flood warnings for the River Don near Doncaster were reduced to the standard warning level by the Environment Agency on Tuesday night.

Doug Wilson, the agency’s flood duty manager, said: “More heavy rain could bring further and severe surface water and river flooding to parts of South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Thursday and Friday.

“Areas of South Yorkshire will remain affected by ongoing high river levels today through to Saturday.”

Labour said their analysis of spending by the Environmental Agency between 2016 and 2018 showed it had fallen 15 per cent in the northwest, 14 per cent in Yorkshire and 3 per cent in East Midlands, while spending rose in the southeast by 14.5 per cent over the same period.

In 2017 a separate assessment by the climate website Carbon Brief suggested that constituencies in London and the southeast were allotted 60 per cent of the government’s planned funding, despite accounting for 32 per cent of England’s population.

To secure funding, a flood protection scheme has to demonstrate it delivers more in benefits than it costs to implement and maintain the defences. Research suggests that this method could tilt the system towards richer households and areas where house prices are higher.

Around 5.2 million properties in England, or one in six properties, are at risk of flooding, according to a government assessment for England.