Rees Mogg uses common sense to flee burning building.

[longwayoff]

Or, he would, if he were to find himself in that situation. Having previously insulted the medical knowledge and expertise of a leading neurologist, he now advises ignoring fire service advice, saying those who died in Grenfell lacked common sense and should have left the building. AIBU to say this man's ignorance is an embarrassment and he is unfit for public service?

Andrew Brigden MP is now trending at no 2 on Twitter. People are incredulous at his remarks.

This is a direct quote

Andrew Bridgen: “[JRM’s intelligence] That’s a by-product 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 given a better decision than the authority figures who gave that advice.”

I can't believe 11% of people think YABU. No wonder this country is in a mess.

JRM is a despicable piece of shit.We get the politicians we deserve,though, so....whatever

Imagine how many times the survivors and relatives must have rehearsed that night in their heads, imagining a better outcome. He's a total scumbag.

He obviously meant that it's tragic that the advice seemed to contravene common sense.
No he didn't, you apologist.

He said that he or the interviewer wouldn't have listened to the advice, hinting that they are superior to the peasants that died in the fire.

That’s a by-product of what Jacob is. And that’s why he’s in a position of authority

If by that he means because he's an over privileged wanker with a massively overinflated estimation of his own competence, then I agree.

If Andrew Bridgen's been wheeled out for the defence then JRM is short of friends. Unsurprising. Who next, Mark Francois?

Common sense would have been not cladding a building housing hundreds of people in a flammable material.
He's now backpeddling saying with hind sight that's what they should have done.
Well 72 people don't get to have the benefit of hindsight.
Because they died awful, terrifying deaths.
Because moggs mates and people like them wanted to save a few bob and to hell with the poor people.
I'm furious. I actually cried with anger listening to this on the radio.
Those poor people and their families
Resigning would be too good for him.

trying to foist the blame onto the fire brigade, who risked their own lives and had to face this horrific situation

He says the opposite of that;
"the one thing we can do is say how much we admire individual firefighters"... "can you imagine the bravery"... "their heroism should not be ignored, undermined, forgotten..."

No, he isn't saying the opposite of that. He's using the classic politicians' trick of diverting attention from what he and his colleagues have been doing by saying something populist and uncontroversial about the undoubted bravery of individual firefighters. None of that changes the fact that he and his government are blatantly trying to focus the blame on fire service policy so that they can divert attention from the much more serious failures of the government and the local Conservative council.

The review so far catalogues a whole load of failures. One being that safety notices were written in English only with a large portion of the tenants not being English literate. Floors not being marked by signage so the FB didn't always know which floor they were on and so it goes on

Andrew Bridgen: “[JRM’s intelligence] That’s a by-product 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 given a better decision than the authority figures who gave that advice.”

Goodness me, what a shame the Fire Service didn't have JRM to sort them out long ago. Maybe he could move on to use his massive intelligence to sort out the police service, and the NHS, and the environment, and the economy, and governing the country generally - oh, wait, that's already his job and he and his friends seem to be making a total dog's breakfast of it. Maybe not so intelligent after all?

Normally DH has no tolerance for JR "Toffness" M... but he's finding this controversy a storm in a teacup. Sounds like one to me, too.

*How foolish of these poor people to take the advice of the Fire Service.

And how foolish of the Fire Service to assume that buildings that house vulnerable people - elderly, children, disabled - or indeed ANY people, will not be made of incendiary materials.

Everybody's fault except that of the government or the builders, obviously.

It has disgusted me the way that government spokespersons are throwing the blame for this horror not the Fire Service. These men and women risk their lives to try to save others. The advice they give is based on "common sense" - or what would be common sense if buildings weren't build as fire traps to save a few quid. Bastards!*

Exactly I agree

There was also a “stay put” policy in place at the World Trade Center. No one who stayed put survived. You have to make your own decisions in an emergency whether or not you use common sense.

He is just such an absolute cunt.

A conservative advocating that the public ignores those in authority? Didn't realise jrm was an anarchist?

I’ll always remember as clear as day some bloke saying “Why did we wake them up those in the top floor. They had no chance. We should have just let them die “peacefully” in their sleep (smoke inhalation). I agreed with him.
I’m paraphrasing but words to that effect.

I don't think this is true as I read that there were people on the top floor who did survive as they did leave the building rather than stay put.

I don't think the JRM should have said what he said, as what good does it do, whether he's right or not. Ultimately I understand what he's saying as I think in that scenario I don't think I would have been able to bear waiting to be rescued and would know they wouldn't be able to save everyone so I would have chanced it and gone. But he is in a position of authority though so whatever he thinks privately, he shouldn't say publicly.

The stay put policy is obviously a bad one and I doubt anyone will follow it now. I think what Dany Cotton the head of the fire service said (where she wouldn't change anything that was done on the day) was far far worse. But then she is not a pro Brexit tory MP,so hasn't had the same level of criticism.

Nothing he said about Grenfell was ever going to end well

Exactly; given his profile it was never sensible for him to get involved in something like this

That said, even though I can't stand the man, he's being accused of suggesting an awful lot of things he didn't suggest at all. There's so much we can criticise him for, why not at least stick to the things which are true?

JRM is the worst kind of arrogant, conceited Tory. He really does believe that he - and his ilk - are superior to the rest of us 'common folk'. He has zero empathy and no understanding of the real world that millions of Britains inhabit.

And he's made a fortune out of Brexit. What a Grade A cunt.

He is beyond disrespectful

The stay put policy is obviously a bad one and I doubt anyone will follow it now. I think what Dany Cotton the head of the fire service said (where she wouldn't change anything that was done on the day) was far far worse. But then she is not a pro Brexit tory MP,so hasn't had the same level of criticism.

That's not true though is it, because Danny Cotton has come under a lot of criticism.

JRM is also worthy of criticism, which he is rightfully getting. He's an MP so should be held to high standards. Really he ought to resign.

This is so offensive.

He should resign.

This is a government figure saying that people shouldn't trust the fire brigade.

He's despicable.

Calamity my comment about tenants were being ignored was about before the fire

And it still goes on all over the country.

He obviously meant that it's tragic that the advice seemed to contravene common sense.

There isn't a 'common sense' way for large numbers of people to leave a high rise building with limited exits.