Jump to content

Rees-Mogg says 'common sense' could have saved Grenfell victims


snoop1130

Recommended Posts

Rees-Mogg says 'common sense' could have saved Grenfell victims

 

8623.JPG

FILE PHOTO: Flames and smoke billow as firefighters deal with a serious fire in the Grenfell Tower apartment block at Latimer Road in West London, Britain June 14, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Prominent Conservative lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg drew criticism on Tuesday after he suggested that victims of the Grenfell Tower fire could have used common sense to ignore the instructions of the fire service and leave the burning building.

 

An official inquiry into the catastrophic chain of events in June 2017 that turned an ordinary kitchen fire into an inferno that killed 71 people last week found that combustible cladding contributed to the tragedy, and also questioned fire brigade advice that residents should stay put.

 

“If you just ignore what you’re told and leave, you are so much safer,” Rees-Mogg, leader of the UK House of Commons, told LBC radio in an interview on Monday.

 

“And I think if either of us were in a fire, whatever the fire brigade said, we would leave the burning building. It just seems the common sense thing to do.”

 

Families of the victims and opposition lawmakers criticised the remarks, with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn labelling the comments “crass and insensitive” and calling for an apology.

 

“What possesses someone to react to an entirely avoidable tragedy like Grenfell by saying the victims lacked common sense? People were terrified, many died trying to escape,” Corbyn said.

 

Rees-Mogg on Tuesday said he “profoundly apologised” for upsetting survivors and victims’ relatives.

 

He said he had meant to say he also would have followed the fire brigade’s advice at the time, but with hindsight following the tragedy it was clear the advice went against common sense.

 

“What’s so sad is that the advice given overrides common sense because everybody would want to leave a burning building,” he said in comments reported by the Evening Standard.

 

“I would hate to upset the people of Grenfell if I was unclear in my comments. With hindsight and after reading the report no one would follow that advice. That’s the great tragedy.”

 

reuters_logo.jpg

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-11-05
  • Sad 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, elliss said:

 

     There is no financial gain to be made in common sense . 

 

But one with common sense should wonder, If this boob's faulty thinking would lead him to this statement, what other idiotic ideas does he have, and do I want him managing the affairs of my district?

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

He could have said:

Sorry, but I am just an elitist hiso etonian tory, and for those reasons not responsible for the stupidities I utter.

 

Well why aren't you in politics challenging him? Too much hard work for a macro economics teacher whatever that is?

I hate the politics of envy and have generally found it backfires with the younger generation.

They tend to see through the vitriol and venom. Good luck with Labour getting back in.

 

They were supposed to be a shoo in in the last Aussie election according to all reports. They got sat on their @rse big time. I expect the same result in the UK.

Edited by emptypockets
  • Like 1
  • Confused 3
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

Well why aren't you in politics challenging him? Too much hard work for a macro economics teacher whatever that is?

I hate the politics of envy and have generally found it backfires with the younger generation.

They tend to see through the vitriol and venom. Good luck with Labour getting back in.

 

They were supposed to be a shoo in in the last Aussie election according to all reports. They got sat on their @rse big time. I expect the same result in the UK.

Well why aren't you in politics challenging him? I have no voting rights in that part of Europe.

 

a macro economics teacher whatever that is? Google?

 

Good luck with Labour getting back in. You talking to me?

 

I hate the politics of envy. Then change the system, so that there is no more need for envy.

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.








×
×
  • Create New...