Commons leader apologises after criticism over his remarks on adherence to stay-put policy

This article is more than 10 months old

This article is more than 10 months old

Jacob Rees-Mogg has apologised after claiming Grenfell Tower fire victims did not use “common sense” and leave the burning building.

The leader of the House of Commons was widely criticised on Tuesday morning after he said the stay-put policy issued by the fire service had limited people’s chances of survival and he would have ignored it.

In a statement issued to the Evening Standard, he said: “I profoundly apologise.”

He added: “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. With hindsight and after reading the report no one would follow that advice. That’s the great tragedy.”

Rees-Mogg told the LBC radio host Nick Ferrari that if either of them had been in a fire they would “leave the burning building” and ignore the London fire brigade.

The Justice 4 Grenfell group described his comments as “appalling”.

The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, tweeted: “What possesses someone to react to an entirely avoidable tragedy like Grenfell by saying the victims lacked common sense? People were terrified, many died trying to escape.

“Jacob Rees-Mogg must apologise for these crass and insensitive comments immediately.”

Rees-Mogg, 50, said during the radio show: “The tragedy came about because of the cladding leading to the fire racing up the building and then was compounded by the stay put policy.

“And it seems to me that is the tragedy of it. That the more one’s read over the weekend about the report and about the chances of people surviving, 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’s such a tragedy that that didn’t happen but I don’t think it’s anything to do with race or class.”

Sir Martin Moore-Bick, who is leading the Grenfell inquiry, said that more lives could have been saved if the London fire brigade dropped its stay put policy sooner as they tried to tackle the blaze.

Some remained in their flats for several hours as the fire tore through the building.

It emerged that 55 of the 72 people who died in the fire were told to remain in their homes.

The disaster on 14 June 2017 in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea was the worst loss of life to fire in domestic premises since the second world war.

The shadow secretary for housing, John Healey, said it was shocking for Rees-Mogg to suggest that those who died in the Grenfell Tower fire lacked common sense.

He said: “They were told to stay where they were by the fire service, who were acting on national guidelines. He must apologise.”

The Lib Dem candidate for Kensington and Chelsea, Sam Gyimah, said the comments were insensitive and disgraceful.

The victims included six members of the same family, the Choucairs, and five members of the Hashim family who all lived on the 22nd floor.

The youngest victim was a six-month old baby, Leena Belkadi. Logan Gomes was stillborn in hospital on 14 June.

• This article was amended on 7 November 2019 because an earlier version incorrectly referred to Grenfell as “the biggest single loss of life in London since the second world war”. It was worst loss of life to fire in domestic premises since that period.