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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think Labour should save their political point scoring re Granffell tower for later on

314 replies

angelcakerocks · 14/06/2017 20:28

I'm actually quite disgusted that Labour are yet again using a tragedy to score political points (as they did with the terrorist incident) so soon after the event.
Yes questions need to be asked, but it seems inappropriate to be doing that right now, when we should all be pulling together and focusing on the victims of this awful accident. There is no need for the political point scoring today.

OP posts:
Dandandandandandandan · 14/06/2017 23:06

Hermags - are you including the ones who paid £500 a week to live there when you talk about the impact of cuts? Or the ones who bought them cheaply and sold them for a lot of money because of the W11 postcode? Some massive balls have been dropped here, by the government, by the management company, by the landlord/council, possibly by one or more contractors. But it's not accurate to paint it entirely as a block of poor people who've been ignored by an evil Tory government/council.

We live very near there. DP and I have both spent a lot of today/tonight volunteering and donating food and clothes and things like nappies and formula. It's bloody tragic and we've both been in floods of tears. The only good thing is the sheer volume of stuff that's been donated and the things local people are organising to try and help and cheer people up. THAT is something to smile about at least.

sweetbitter · 14/06/2017 23:06

I'd agree if it weren't for the fact that the residents themselves have been going on the record for years blaming corrupt, and yes, right wing politics for the lack of fire safety regs in this very building.

stitchglitched · 14/06/2017 23:06

'How anyone can support this man after this is beyond me.'

He tabled legislation to require homes to be fit for human habitation and 312 tories voted against it, and is giving a voice to those who have been ignored. But it is much better to vote against the right to a safe home and then parrot meaningless platitudes after a tragedy occurs. Corbyn is clearly the villain of the piece.

fakenamefornow · 14/06/2017 23:07

The residents are complaining about Tory neglect and cuts as well though. Somebody was just on Newsnight saying that the residents tried to get lawyers to force the management to improve safety but the couldn't because of Tory cuts to legal aid. Boris Johnson cut the fire service and closed down stations. Tories have been trying to wind back H&S regs. I've even heard them champion this a benefit of Brexit, freeing us of EU H&S red tape.

Do you also object to residents political 'point scoring' or are they allowed to criticize, just opposition politicians need to stfu?

Alltheprettyseahorses · 14/06/2017 23:09

Yes, Corbyn's comments are extremely distasteful - but Harriet Harman's are even worse. She spent a significant amount of time during her TV interview earlier today not talking about what happened but instead cynically attacking the 'shambolic' 'coalition of chaos' of the current government, promoting Corbyn's line that Labour is a government in waiting. To play political point-scoring like this, using the tragedy as a political football in the same way as the NHS is exploited (I suppose the crisis is over now as far as St Jeremy is concerned) is disgraceful.

fakenamefornow · 14/06/2017 23:09

How anyone can support this man after this is beyond me

No criticism of Tory cuts then? Just criticism of the person objecting to the cuts and championing public safety?

SeaWitchly · 14/06/2017 23:13

YABVU OP.

It is important that questions are asked and people held to account for this tragedy.

Handwringing and sympathy are useless to the victims... and meanwhile there are residents of similar tower blocks with a lack of sprinklers and potentially highly flammable cladding who are sleeping a little less easier in their beds tonight.

Corbyn was right to speak out on behalf of the residents and I felt he did it well, by raising the need for questions to be asked and whoever is responsible to be held to account... but also that that could wait till tomorrow and today is about supporting emotionally and practically the victims of this terrible event.

He got the mood just right imo.

notknownatthisaddress · 14/06/2017 23:16

As someone said above ^ what have Labour ever done to change anything? (Regarding safety in tower blocks?)

Fuck-all that's what. Oh Corbyn did this and said that and blah blah blah. Pure hyperbole as fuck-all was done.

But let's not let that get in the way of a bit of Tory bashing eh???

Hermagsjesty · 14/06/2017 23:18

Dandandan - Fair point but actually yes - I do include the residents who pay £500 a week because - although I hear you that it isn't a black and white issue - it is undoubtably true that the presumed demographic of the residents meant powerful people believed they were easier to ignore.

And actually the flats being bought and sold because of the postcode is part of the same (political) issue of gentrification as the cladding which it seems may have accelerated the fire... So, it's not just about the impact of cuts - it's also about profit being put before people.

I haven't mentioned evil Tories at all BTW. I just find it hard to fathom how - when the residents themselves have given countless interviews expressing thier anger and outrage - anyone can believe politicians should not be speaking out on thier behalf.

I absolutely applaud you and your husband - it must be heartbreaking to see.

stitchglitched · 14/06/2017 23:19

It isn't tory bashing to state their voting record, it is just fact.

SabineUndine · 14/06/2017 23:20

If questions aren't asked now, while the pressure is on, those responsible will not be called to account.

If you're going to complain that other people are prepared to call this the political issue it is, you might at least get the name of the building right.

fakenamefornow · 14/06/2017 23:22

He tabled legislation to require homes to be fit for human habitation and 312 tories voted against it

No criticism of the Tories who voted this down then? Just criticism of the person tabling the legislation because they did 'fuck all'.

Dandandandandandandan · 14/06/2017 23:24

Hermag - totally agree on cladding. It's just heartbreaking to see people who have lost everything. Very sombre mood in this part of town. I've been at work so was restricted but DP has been up and down all day with things and is trying to work out how to organise things like cake and games in the park for the little ones - it's so horribly sad. I think it's fortunate in a small way that it happened during Ramadan as there's a big Muslim community and lots of people were awake at that time who might otherwise have been asleep - I think that helped both inside and outside the block.

everthibkyouvebeenconned · 14/06/2017 23:28

Cuts kill lives.

The fire brigade said that when Boris cut forces
The unions said this when they cut money to the council's
The doctors said this when they cut money to the NHS

Our infrasture is failing. If you can not see that either you do not need it or you do not care

Just to add our education system is also failing due to cuts

CUTS KILL

everthibkyouvebeenconned · 14/06/2017 23:29

And Cunts kill through cuts
...does that help?

notknownatthisaddress · 14/06/2017 23:30

Overspending til the country is almost bankrupt and leaving a note saying 'no more money left sorry...' isn't exactly helping the fucking UK population either.

Jesus fucking wept!

brasty · 14/06/2017 23:35

People have died. Children have died.
And this was all preventable.
How is it political point scoring to be angry about that?
FFS

Highalert · 14/06/2017 23:35

Whats your answer then? Ignore it, keep cutting services and hope for the best?

brasty · 14/06/2017 23:37

Yes people are not supposed to say this was preventable.
People are not supposed to say no one should have died in that tower block today
People are not supposed to say no one should have had to throw their baby out of a window for strangers to catch.

If it was your family who died today, would you want an expose about why this happened? Because I am damn sure I would.

donquixotedelamancha · 14/06/2017 23:38

"on a building that had recently had £8m spent on it"

Well that money was mostly spent on flammable plastic cladding to make it look pretty. The residents had been campaigning about safety concerns for some time.

"As someone said above ^ what have Labour ever done to change anything? (Regarding safety in tower blocks?)
Fuck-all that's what. Oh Corbyn did this and said that and blah blah blah. Pure hyperbole as fuck-all was done."

Have you read the thread? Labour sponsored a bill on the issue of tenant safety, 'fuck all was done' because they don't have a majority and the Tories voted it down.
I would add that Harriet Harman has campaigned about safety concerns in this very tower block.

Obviously to suggest the immediate cause is 'Tory cuts' would be fatuous- no one on here has really done this- they are answering the OPs criticism of JC. I'm still at a loss to find quotes from him that are at all inappropriate as the OP suggests.

brasty · 14/06/2017 23:40

Meanwhile people squabble - Labour did it first, no Conservatives did it.

This should never have happened. Fire safety standards should be much better. And the management company should have done a better job.

brasty · 14/06/2017 23:42

There has been a report sitting with Government warning that this was going to happen to an old tower block that had panels stuck on it.
The residents had been complaining for ages that this tower block was unsafe.

Yet no one did anything.

Orangebird69 · 14/06/2017 23:45

Yanbu op. It's fucking disgraceful. The fire was still going when they starred on about it. Vultures.

brasty · 14/06/2017 23:46

Yeah vultures, to recognise this should never have happened in the first place.
Maybe you would prefer that we all just sit singing kimbayai instead?

sleepingdragons · 14/06/2017 23:47

Why should people keep quiet? To give those who have been incompetent time to get stuff through the shredders? Or for it to drop off the front pages so it can be shoved under the carpet again?

This is a class issue, it is a political issue. Tory politicians have been repeatedly voting against policies that would have improved fire safety and made social housing fit for habitation. They have repeatedly voted in favour of cuts to the services that would check fire regulations are being held to, cuts to the emergency services we rely on to save out lives.

How long are people supposed to keep quiet for?

This ^^