Grenfell: Jacob Rees-Mogg urged to resign over 'unforgivable' comments
The leader of the House of Commons has said he was "profoundly" sorry for making controversial remarks in a radio interview.
Wednesday 6 November 2019 13:15, UK
Jacob Rees-Mogg is facing calls to resign after he suggested it would have been "common sense" for Grenfell Tower residents to ignore "stay put" advice from firefighters and leave the burning building.
The leader of the House of Commons has said he was "profoundly" sorry for making the controversial remarks in a radio interview.
On Monday, he told LBC's Nick Ferrari: "It seems to me that that is the tragedy of it, that the more one's read of it over the weekend about the report and about the chances of people surviving, if you just ignore what you're told and leave, you are so much safer.
"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 and it is such a tragedy that that didn't happen."
Labour MP David Lammy, whose friend Khadija Saye died in the fire, wrote on Twitter: "Jacob Rees-Mogg should resign. His suggestion that the 72 victims of the Grenfell Tower fire lacked 'common sense' is unforgivable.
"And his 'apology' is not an apology: it is just a cowardly attempt to pretend he said the exact opposite of what actually he said."
Rapper Stormzy, who has been critical of the Conservative government before, called Mr Rees-Mogg "an actual piece of s***" and also demanded his resignation.
The Croydon-born grime artist, whose real name is Michael Omari, wrote on Twitter: "Oi @Jacob_Rees_Mogg you need to resign you're an actual piece of s*** I beg everyone watch this - MP Jacob Rees Mogg in a nutshell saying Grenfell Victims should of had the common sense to escape. I can't believe the cheek f* hell these politicians are actual aliens."
He said Mr Rees-Mogg's comments implied "those who lost their lives weren't smart enough to escape".
Stormzy, 26, continued across seven tweets to say: "F* hell this man is the scummiest… Let's bare in mind for 2 secs how horrifiying (sic) and terrifying the situation would of been for the victims."
He added: "Oi get this pr*** out of here these man (sic) are scumbags and they are wicked and evil."
The Tories also faced calls for backbench MP Andrew Bridgen to be removed as one of the party's election candidates, after he was criticised for his remarks when attempting to defend Mr Rees-Mogg in a different radio interview.
Mr Bridgen, the North West Leicestershire MP, told the BBC: "Jacob is a good friend of mine and he's an extremely intelligent and compassionate human being.
"His comments regarding Grenfell were uncharacteristically clumsy. But I think we have to put them into the context of Jacob.
"I mean, Jacob is a leader, he's an authority figure, and what he's failed to realise is that - in a life-threatening and stressful situation - most people, most of the public, will probably defer to the advice of an authority figure... and not come to their own conclusion.
"Look we want very clever people running the country don't we? That's a byproduct of what Jacob is, and that's why he's in a position of authority.
"What he's actually saying is that he would have made a better decision than the authority figures who gave that advice."
Labour's national campaign co-ordinator Andrew Gynne MP said: "Andrew Bridgen's comments are contemptible and Boris Johnson should remove him as a candidate.
"What Rees-Mogg and Bridgen said go to the poisonous heart of the Tories' attitude towards people in our communities."
Mr Bridgen later apologised for his remarks, posting on Twitter: "I realise that what I said was wrong and caused a great deal of distress and offence.
"It was not my intention to do so, and I do not want to add in any way to the pain that this tragic event has caused. I apologise unreservedly."
Responding to Mr Rees-Mogg's comments, Grenfell United said: "The leader of the House of Commons suggesting that the 72 people who lost their lives at Grenfell lacked common sense is beyond disrespectful. It is extremely painful and insulting to bereaved families."
Ahmed Chellat, 62, who lost five family members in the Grenfell fire, told the Daily Mirror: "What common sense is [Rees-Mogg] talking about? People died on the stairs trying to leave, they couldn't breathe.
"People needed help and directions, they tried to open doors and there was smoke everywhere. What is he talking about?
"How is he coming to this insensitive conclusion?"
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Mr Rees-Mogg has said he was "unclear" in the LBC interview, and issued an apology.
He added: "What I meant to say is that I would have also listened to the fire brigade's advice to stay and wait at the time.
"However, with what we know now and with hindsight I wouldn't and I don't think anyone else would.
"What's so sad is that the advice given overrides common sense because everybody would want to leave a burning building.
"I would hate to upset the people of Grenfell if I was unclear in my comments."
When asked by reporters if he thought Grenfell residents lacked common sense, Mr Rees-Mogg said: "That's not what I said, that's not what I said."
The 2017 Grenfell tragedy killed 72 people in the west London tower block.
A public inquiry into the blaze found the London Fire Brigade's preparation for a tower block fire was "gravely inadequate".
Inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said that more lives could have been saved if the fire brigade's "stay put" policy had been abandoned sooner.
He said the lack of an evacuation plan was a "major omission".
Family members of victims called for Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton to step down and said the findings of the inquiry were "heartbreaking".
However, some organisations have questioned whether it would have been possible to evacuate the building.