Disgraceful McDonnell

FOR John McDonnell to state the victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster were ‘murdered’ demonstrates his ignorance of the law, which is only surpassed by his insensitivity and stupidity. I question his fitness to sit as an MP.

To obtain a successful conviction for murder, the prosecution must show that the actus reus and

mens rea [the guilty act and the guilty mind] were present at the time the crime was committed; in other words, the act of killing and the deliberate intention to kill.

John McDonnell clearly does not have any knowledge of the law. As he has a responsibility to Parliament, his constituents and the public, he should show constructive empathy and try to assist the public inquiry in establishing how this dreadful tragedy occurred, instead of making disgusting comments that will further traumatise the survivors. Mrs ROSALIND BOND, Fenny Drayton, Nuneaton. IN a recent letter, Paul Callanan said that the Grenfell Tower tragedy was caused by austerity, ignoring the fact £8.6million was spent on the block over the past two years. Some austerity!

The spread of the fire was probably the fault of those who should have installed a sprinkler system, maintained fire detection systems, complied with health-and-safety measures and tested the cladding properly before any cosmetic work took place. It was not the fault of Mrs May or her Government. John McDonnell said at Glastonbury that the victims were murdered. It has now come to light that all cladding on all tower blocks tested has failed fire tests — and the majority of these buildings are in boroughs run by Labour-controlled councils for decades.

Will Mr McDonnell now say the housing ministers in previous Labour government are guilty of attempted murder? Any of the tower blocks with this cladding could have caught fire as Grenfell did. W. K. BROOKS, Rotherham, S. Yorks.