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Justice secretary Angela Constance said the Scottish government has to have a “frank” conversation with vulnerable communities on how Scotland prepares for events such as Storm Babet.
She told BBC’s Good Morning Scotland:
We do have to have some frank conversations with government and our communities because, with the best will in the world, the best flood defences will not give 100% protection 100% of the time.
What we’ve seen with Babet is, over two days, two months’ worth of rainfall, which is exceptional, and the impact of that will be with communities for some time.
Of course there’s been some really tragic consequences of the storm and our thoughts and prayers continue to be with those affected.
Two people died in Scotland during the storm, which saw a rare red weather warning issued by authorities in the lead-up to it, warning of a danger to life in the north-east.
Police confirmed on Monday morning that a search is continuing for a second man reported missing on Friday, who is said to have been trapped in a vehicle in floodwater in Marykirk, Aberdeenshire.
The Scottish first minister will visit Brechin on Monday to see where the River South Esk burst its banks and flooded dozens of homes.
Humza Yousaf is expected to meet people affected by the flooding during his visit and thank volunteers, local authority staff and emergency service personnel who played a part in the evacuation.
Respite centres were set up in the town for those forced to leave their homes and people only started returning in large numbers on Sunday to assess the damage done.
In the early hours of Friday, emergency services stepped up efforts to move people out of their properties as water started to spill over the sides of the defences and engulf the street.
During his visit Yousaf is expected to meet residents affected by the flooding and thank volunteers, local authority staff and emergency service personnel who played a part in the evacuation.
Angus Council said it has had an “overwhelming” response to an appeal for accommodation for people unable to return to their properties because of the damage caused by the floods.
A call for clothing and toiletries for those affected by the floods also led to hundreds of donations, the local authority said.
Yousaf said ahead of his scheduled visit:
My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives to the extreme conditions caused by Storm Babet during what will be difficult time.
I want to pass on my thanks to local authorities, volunteers and the emergency services for all their efforts in these extremely challenging conditions.
The local community in Brechin, like others across Scotland, has come together to offer support to all those affected by the floods, with Angus Council receiving hundreds of offers of alternative accommodation for those forced to leave their homes.
Transport secretary Mark Harper has said a video appearing to show a Tube driver leading chants on the London Underground of “free Palestine” was “disturbing”.
He told Sky News:
I saw that clip and on the face of it it was disturbing, but I know the British Transport Police and Transport for London are investigating that.
Because they are investigating that it wouldn’t be right for me to comment on an ongoing police investigation, but they took that very seriously and I thank them at the weekend for their vigilance on that matter.
I want to make sure people across the country are secure and those sorts of things will have been very concerning, particularly to people in the Jewish community.
Nicola Slawson
Police will have to explain the response to pro-Palestine protesters chanting “jihad”, a cabinet minister has said ahead of a meeting between Suella Braverman and Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.
The home secretary will urge Scotland Yard chief Sir Mark Rowley to use the “full force of the law” after video emerged of a pro-Palestinian protester chanting “jihad”, PA news reports.
Officers said no offences were identified in the footage from the demonstration in central London over the weekend.
Her cabinet colleague, Mark Harper, said that the footage from the weekend was “disturbing”.
The transport secretary told Times Radio:
The home secretary will make it clear that the government thinks the full force of the law should be used.
The police are operationally independent, which I think is appropriate, and they will have to explain the reasons for the decisions they have taken.
The home secretary will make clear the police should “crack down on anyone breaking the law” amid concern over footage from a demonstration by the Hizb ut-Tahrir fundamentalist group, which was separate to the main rally.
The Met has pointed out that jihad has “a number of meanings”, and said that specialist counter-terrorism officers had not identified any offences arising from the specific clip from Saturday.
Instead, officers spoke to the man to “discourage any repeat of similar chanting”.
But home office minister Robert Jenrick said chanting the word on the streets of the capital is “inciting terrorist violence”.
Braverman will use her scheduled meeting to discuss protests surrounding the Israel-Gaza conflict to ask Rowley for “an explanation over the response to incidents” on Saturday.
A source close to the home secretary added:
There can be no place for incitement to hatred or violence on Britain’s streets and, as the Home Secretary has made clear, the police are urged to crack down on anyone breaking the law.
Welcome to today’s liveblog. I’m Nicola Slawson and I’m covering for Andrew Sparrow today. Do drop me a line if you have any questions or comments. I’m on nicola.slawson@theguardian.com or @Nicola_Slawson on the site formerly known as Twitter.
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