Theresa May ‘regrets’ not meeting Grenfell survivors in aftermath of ‘unparalleled’ tragedy
Prime Minister Theresa May said she will “always regret” her response to the Grenfell fire in its immediate aftermath as she outrageously failed to visit traumatized and grieving survivors.
Almost 12 months since the fire at the 24-story block in north Kensington killed 72 people, including a stillborn baby, the Tory leader has admitted her personal response to the fire was below standards.
“It was a tragedy unparalleled in recent history and, although many people did incredible work during and after the fire, it has long been clear that the initial response was not good enough,” May wrote in the London Evening Standard.
“I include myself in that,” she said.
May came under widespread criticism last year when she limited her immediate interactions to emergency workers, without meeting the victims.
“What I did not do on that first visit was meet the residents and survivors who had escaped the blaze.
“But the residents of Grenfell Tower needed to know that those in power recognized and understood their despair. And I will always regret that by not meeting them that day, it seemed as though I didn’t care.
“That was never the case.”
The PM again faced criticism when she was caught entering through the backdoor of St Paul’s Cathedral in London,ahead of a memorial service that marked six months since the blaze.
Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn and the Queen both visited the victims in the days following the fire.
READ MORE: Grenfell survivor blasts Tories for rejecting fire-resistant cladding to save money
One Grenfell survivor, Allison Moses, told RT the “stone-faced” PM had failed to apologize or to meet the residents in the aftermath of the fire. “If the Queen could have the humility to engage with the people, why couldn’t May?,” the mother of one asked.
The PM’s decision to slink into the memorial service through the back entrance “is an insult right again. Why is she so special that she cannot show any empathy for us?” Moses asked.
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