OT: Grenfell Tower fire

[Yak]

The tower is still upright and smouldering.

How come the twin towers in 9/11 collapsed?

I see the idiots are out in force tonight ?

[millmoormagic]

Looks like this is going to turn into a massive tragedy, aided and abetted by at best incompetence, at worst criminality....the constant race for austerity and cutbacks, the closing of fire stations, the refusal to implement recomended actions from previous reports etc etc etc....will the lessons be learned, well they haven't up to yet have they...

Capitalism at it's worst has played a massive part in this no doubt about it...

[KerrAvon]

No doubt about the fact that some people are trying to make political mileage out of a tragedy whilst the fires are still burning and the death toll is unknown.

Shameful.

[millmoormagic]

It's a fact that it's political, whether you like it or not that those people have died, for far too long have we allowed politics to cut back on safety, to cut back on regulation, to ignore reccomendations given years before, it goes on and on, the list isn't exhaustive.

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Might be political, there's quite a few Labour councillors on that council and the building was erected when Harold Wilson was Prime Minister.

See how easy it is to use a tragedy to push a political agenda?

As Kerr Avon says above, it's shameful.

[millmoormagic]

Might be political, there's quite a few Labour councillors on that council and the building was erected when Harold Wilson was Prime Minister.

And if they are culpable then they need dealing with, i'm not playing party politics here, unlike yourself, im saying that for years we have accepted the closure of fire stations, the austerity that no doubt stopped sprinkler systems being fitted, the ignoring of reccomended actions....

[Ellis_D]

Absolutely awful tragedy. RIP to those poor people who stood no chance as they slept in their beds. When I was watching this on the news this morning, I could only think of all the poor kids in bed, getting a good night's sleep ready for school in the morning. It makes you hold your own tighter and thank goodness that they are safe and well.

It's so upsetting news like this. I'm not going to play party politics, but listening to several people who lived in and near those flats on the news today, it seems residents had long worried that they were death traps. If that is the case, people should be made accountable, heads should roll and there really must be whatever possible actions taken to reduce the chances of this happening again.

[harpo88]

I wouldn't trust a council run by one party over another in my current home city of London - eg while Corbyn seeks to make headway nationally the council here in Southwark panders to offshore based developers who employ ex Labour Councillors to fine loopholes to get away with avoiding affordable housing obligations.

Similarly planning policy just doesn't stack up with current central Government policy of environmental improvement- why do I have to go through full planning permission according to my council to change leaky single glazed white wooden windows to energy efficient white pvc double glazed ones in a non-conservation area?

Answer - under any Government with any type of funding shortage,short termism and lack of investment are likely to prevail.

[millmoormagic]

I wouldn't trust a council run by one party over another in my current home city of London - eg while Corbyn seeks to make headway nationally the council here in Southwark panders to offshore based developers who employ ex Labour Councillors to fine loopholes to get away with avoiding affordable housing obligations.

Similarly planning policy just doesn't stack up with current central Government policy of environmental improvement- why do I have to go through full planning permission according to my council to change leaky single glazed white wooden windows to energy efficient white pvc double glazed ones in a non-conservation area?

Answer - under any Government with any type of funding shortage,short termism and lack of investment are likely to prevail.

Totally agree, regardless of political party, for me it's about doing things correctly, every time, regardless of cost, people's safety must be paramount.

[monty_rhodes]

I can't agree with Kerr at all on this one. Of course events like this are political. The dead and bereaved are best served not by mountains of flowers but by a resolute determination to find answers and ensure lessons are learned and implemented. Most of you lads have never worked in government, local or national. Well let me tell you straight, the first people the council and government minsters will have contacted yesterday were their lawyers. Obfuscation, evasion and distraction are being rolled out at this very minute.