Anger boils over as fire protesters demand answers on tower deaths

Pressure on Theresa May grows amid weak response Crowds gather in central London calling for justice

Theresa May’s leadership was under further attack last night as she faced a storm of criticism over her response to the Grenfell Tower fire.

Questions over the Prime Minister’s judgment were raised as she was accused of failing to show empathy with the people affected by the tragedy.

Public anger was directed at Mrs May for a decision to ignore members of the public when she first visited the scene of the fire.

The shock at the mounting toll, which last night had risen to 70 missing and feared dead, was accompanied by fury over her decision to restrict herself to private talks with the emergency services when she went to the site on Thursday.

Hundreds of protesters last night marched on Whitehall to voice anger and frustration at the Government’s response.

The crowd later began marching towards Kensington High Street, chanting: “No justice, no peace”.

The Prime Minister had earlier

sought to make amends for her initial failure to engage with the public when she went to St Clement’s Church, near the blaze, to meet locals and community leaders.

But she faced cries of “Coward” and “Shame on you” as she left St Clement’s.

Police had to bundle her into her car as she left by a side-door, surrounded by an irate crowd. There was a large police presence at the church, where Mrs May announced a £5 million relief fund.

Earlier she went to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital but her visit was not enough to quell the anger caused by what many saw as a perfunctory trip to the site on Thursday.

One weeping woman said it was because the Prime Minister had refused to speak to anyone outside the meeting, which lasted less than an hour.

Police broke up a scuffle in the crowd as Mrs May’s car drove off.

Tension also rose when around 60 protesters stormed Kensington and Chelsea town hall brandishing a list of demands and seeking help for those made homeless.

Mrs May’s reaction to the horrifying events was criticised when the Leader of the Commons, Andrea Leadsom, went to the scene of the fire and was tackled about the Prime Minister’s behaviour.

Mrs May’s response has been contrasted with that of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and London mayor Sadiq Khan, both of whom engaged with those affected. One man asked Ms Leadsom: “Why are Sadiq Khan and Corbyn coming down here to speak to people and Theresa May is coming here with police, walking around, not meeting no one, not meeting families?

“This fire could have been stopped a long, long time ago ... There’s not even sprinklers in there.

“In 2009, the last block was on fire. What has changed since then? Nothing. Enough is enough, I have got friends in that tower. I have a right to be angry. Because of people saving money, people are dying.”

Ms Leadsom replied: “The Prime Minister came yesterday to look at the operation, to try to make sure that everything that can be done by the Government is done.

“The Prime Minister is absolutely heartbroken ... The whole sense in the House of Commons is absolute horror and shock.

“I don’t really think it is appropriate to be talking about whether people have humanity or not.

“Understandably, people are desperately traumatised and, yes, people are angry and that is totally understandable.

“What we need to do is to get a grip of this and make sure we are meeting their immediate needs as well as their ongoing needs and that is really the priority for Government.”

Former Tory cabinet minister Michael Portillo urged Ms May to show “humanity”.

He told the BBC’S This Week; “She should have been there with the residents, which is what Jeremy Corbyn was. She wanted an entirely controlled situation in which she didn’t use her humanity.

“The Prime Minister would have been shouted at by the residents, but she should have been willing to take that.” On a wall near the tower where residents have left tributes, one person scrawled: “Theresa May, stay away.”

Mr Khan wrote to Mrs May urging her to step in with further support to the relief effort “as a matter of urgency”.

The mayor, who himself faced anger from residents on his site visit on Thursday, wrote: “[Residents] feel the Government and local council haven’t done enough to help them in the aftermath of this horrific incident, or to provide answers to their increasingly urgent questions.”

Asked if Mrs May would bow to pressure and meet residents at the site, Ms Leadsom said: “The Prime Minister is doing everything she can. I’m sure if it is felt that that would be helpful, she will do that.”

Former Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman said it was “not OK” for the Prime Minister to go to the area and not meet residents, and called on her to invite them to talk to her in Downing Street, as victims of the 2009 Lakanal House fire were.

But on the BBC’S Question Time programme, Conservative defence minister Tobias Ellwood said there were “security reasons” which explained why Mrs May had not met residents.

Mr Ellwood’s claim led many to wonder how, if security had been an issue, the Queen and the Duke of Cambridge had managed to speak to residents during their visit yesterday to the West Way Sports Centre near the site.

“She should have been with the residents. She wanted an entirely controlled situation in which she didn’t use her humanity”

MICHAEL PORTILLO

The anger around the tragic events at Grenfell Tower is now palpable. The building’s charred frame stands as a memorial to those who could not escape, and residents directly affected are demanding immediate answers as to how this was allowed to happen.

And those who live in high-rise tower blocks across the UK, including Scotland, are seeking assurances over whether their homes remain safe should a blaze break out.

Answers, of course, cannot be immediate.

Rigorous processes needs to be followed to ensure the correct conclusions are reached. And that tension over accuracy and speed – amid a death toll that could grow to 70 – will dominate headlines for weeks to come.

Right now, the United Kingdom requires strong leadership.

And it is clear that Prime Minister Theresa May, already weakened by a poor general election campaign, is struggling to provide it.

In the long term she knows she cannot survive.

But now, Britain needs its PM. And Mrs May must forget everything that has gone before.

This is her chance to show government can be a positive force. To help the survivors of Grenfell, to do everything in her power to find answers, and to act decisively to prevent another fire.

The £5 million aid package isn’t enough; nor is the announcement of an independent public inquiry.

As sorrow turns to rage, Mrs May must roll her sleeves up. She must speak out, show empathy and begin to tackle the root causes of the London fire.

Don’t slip out the side door. Don’t go quietly Prime Minister.

For the good of our democracy, stand up and show your mettle.