Rees-mogg apologises for offending Grenfell victims

JACOB REES-MOGG apologised yesterday over remarks relating to the Grenfell Tower fire when he suggested residents should have used “common sense” to escape the burning building.

Grieving families called the Leader of the House “disgusting” for suggesting victims should have ignored firefighters who had ordered them to stay put during a discussion on LBC radio.

Appearing on LBC’S Nick Ferrari Show on Monday Mr Rees-mogg said: “If you just ignore what you’re told and leave you are so much safer. I think if either of us were in a fire, whatever the fire brigade said, we would leave the burning building. It just seems the common sense thing to do, and it is such a tragedy that that didn’t happen.”

The comments upset relatives of the 72 people who died in the west London tower block in June 2017.

Shah Aghlani, whose mother and aunt perished, said: “Jacob Rees-mogg is disgusting. His comments tell you more about the man than the tragedy.”

The Cabinet minister made a humiliating apology hours later, saying: “What I meant to say is that I would have also listened to the fire brigade’s advice to stay and wait at the time.

“However, with what we know now and with hindsight I wouldn’t and I don’t think anyone else would. I would hate to upset the people of Grenfell if I was unclear in my comments.”

Mr Rees-mogg’s comments overshadowed an admission by Dany Cotton, the London Fire Brigade Commissioner, that there were sufficient crews on the ground on the night of the fire but that training and recordkeeping on the building had been inadequate.