Corbyn’s low political ploy of playing on the grief and anger of Grenfell Tower victims

SIR – How low can politicians sink when they try to make mileage on the back of a ghastly tragedy? One can only hope that the public can see the real colours of a potential prime minister like Jeremy Corbyn, who plays on the grief of those made homeless in the fire by proposing that the homes of the wealthy be taken.

Every effort must be made to bring relief to those affected by the tragedy, but such cheap rabble-rousing is a dire indication of Mr Corbyn’s politics. Charles Holden

Micheldever, Hampshire

SIR – No one can fail to be affected by the horrifying events at Grenfell Tower, but calls by some politicians to requisition what they assume to be empty homes are no more than headline grabbing. Worse, it would leave homeless people out in the cold.

English law means no one, however poor or wealthy they may be, or whether they are present or absent, can be deprived of their property without following legal process. For instance, would a person who is in hospital or in a nursing home count as having an “empty” home?

A requisition process, which often involves court challenges funded by taxpayers, can take over two years. If successful, whichever public authority acquired the home can expect to have to purchase it at an open-market value, and that is likely to be high.

This suggestion helps no one, but leaves needy people under the illusion that there is a simple solution to a real and tragic situation. It relies on one of the most cumbersome processes known to English law and is perhaps the most costly possible solution. Howard Bassford

Partner, DLA Piper London EC2

SIR – Fraser Nelson (Comment, June 16) sees Grenfell Tower as a metaphor for inequality. I’m not sure where, on the social scale, this places the inhabitants of Windsor Castle, who suffered a serious fire a few years ago. Fiona Wild

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

SIR – May I say how sorry I am for the tragic loss of life in Grenfell Tower.

For many years I occupied a flat in a similar tower block in a neighbouring borough. I was an owner-occupier under the right-to-buy scheme. Some years back the council decided, as at Grenfell Tower, to refurbish all the towers, replacing windows and doors, and fitting cladding. We tenants were told the cladding was needed partly because the original concrete building blocks were deteriorating.

In the very early years each tower had its own building manager, who lived on site in a flat, often on the ground floor. They were available all round the clock.

They got to know the tenants and were there to sort out problems, carry out inspections, help in emergencies, and act as a liaison between tenants and the council. These dedicated managers were lost as part of a cost-saving programme.

Councils seemed to have farmed out the management of their estates to so-called management companies, again as part of a cost-saving scheme. In my experience these companies were often staffed by inexperienced people, but allowed councils to relinquish their responsibilities to their tenants. Vince Czerny

Hadleigh, Suffolk

SIR – Theresa May has announced a public inquiry into what went wrong at Grenfell Tower. Public inquiries take months, if not years, to come up with their recommendations.

There is a pressing need to fit sprinkler systems in the common parts and staircases of all high-rise blocks, fit smoke alarms in the communal areas and the flats, and make sure that all material used in the common parts, inside or out, is fire-retardant. If there is material used in the blocks that does burn, it ought at least not to give off choking black smoke. Justin Smith

Salisbury, Wiltshire

SIR – I live in a high-rise apartment building in Dubai. We have fire drills. When we hear the alarm we evacuate and assemble at predetermined points. In each apartment kitchen is a small fire blanket and fire extinguisher. Each floor has a fire hose.

We have had fires in buildings upwards of 50 floors without any loss of life. I admire the courage and commitment of the London firefighters, but the fire safety policies they operate under are wrong. Annet Crossey

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

SIR – Why does it appear that so many elderly and infirm lived in the upper floors of a council-run housing scheme where the only form of escape in a fire is one staircase? Heather M Tanner

Earl Soham, Suffolk

SIR – While retrofitting sprinkler systems may be the best preventative measure, if a slow and expensive one, the immediate solution would be to equip each flat with a fire extinguisher. Jan Manning

West Chiltington, West Sussex