No Contact By May

[Bazile]

Should Theresa May have made an effort to meet some of the people affected by the disaster , on her visit to the scene ?

[Boto]

As I understand it she was advised not to because of security issues. Police would have had to leave other duties for her protection when they were more use elsewhere. One of my first thoughts was that there would be cries of 'Government's fault'.

[mikey4444]

I have heard Sajid Javid being interviewed by Humphries in the Today Programme. And the interview was excoriating, to day the least.

Can someone now please tell me that the BBC is bias towards the left ?

[naomi24]

donny, //I think that it is pathetic to try and make a political point from such a tragedy. //

I'd call it shameful, but it's happening.

[ummmm]

I feel sorry for her. What's right is also wrong. She can't win.

[Old_Geezer]

She took advice before the election too. I can see the security issue concern, but a short visit to quell any criticism would surely not have caused too much of a problem. But what is done is done. Whilst folk ought not to make political capital out of tragedy, it is inevitable that the actions of a politician, especially government, will be under scrutiny at all times, and will affect public opinion.

[zebo]

Whatever she did or didn't do, say or didn't say would have been grabbed by the left to whip her, they have been very quick to make political capital out of a total tragedy.

[jim360]

I'm not a great believer in gesture politics, so for myself I don't think it reflects badly on May not to have met personally with survivors. Maybe it would have been better to do so, as Corbyn and Khan have done, and face their anger if necessary. If there's any criticism of her over this it's more about the pattern it fits into than this specific case. Politicians shouldn't shy away from public criticism, and May seems to have made a habit of that lately.

[gulliver1]

Think the answer to the post at 8/36 is Pot & Kettle , come to mind.

[naomi24]

Jim, //Politicians shouldn't shy away from public criticism, and May seems to have made a habit of that lately.//

I don’t see how she’s done that. She’s taken responsibility for the election shambles, she’s making funding available to rehouse the victims of this tragedy, and she’s ordered a full public enquiry.
Some people, and not only those inside the world of politics, are milking this disaster to stir up anti-government opinion.

Gulliver, you'll have to try harder than that. I have no idea what you're taking about - not that that's unusual.

[jno]

I don't think, in general, that politicians need to show up at disasters like this (am I right in thinking it didn't happen much before Thatcher's day?). Yes, as kvalidir points out, it wouldn't hurt May personally to show a little empathy with the victims; but empathy is not really her thing, and I suspect the public knows it.

That's not to say there aren't serious political issues raised by the whole affair; there certainly are. If the inquiry is allowed to drag on the way, for instance, the child abuse inquiry has, it will be a disgrace. As that was also set up by May, I am not confident she has the skills or the will to drive this forward, but I can only hope.

[Ric.ror]

The don't need the PM - Lily Allen's been

[jim360]

What I mean Naomi is that she's shied away from *direct* public criticism by tending to avoid meeting actual members of the public where possible. But her response overall has been swift and appropriate and I'm glad that she's not hesitated to call for a full public inquiry, nor to open up funds as needed.

Beyond that, I'll let my posts about Theresa May in the past speak for me.

[naomi24]

Jim, they do.

[jim360]

I'm not altogether sure what that adds to the thread, but there you go.

I'm reminded a little of the criticism the Royal Family received in the wake of Diana's death. Not grieving publicly was perceived as not grieving at all. Maybe the same is true of Theresa May. I don't doubt for a second that she's as moved as anyone else by what's happened, even if it doesn't come across as such.

[naomi24]

Jim, perhaps like you (and me, as it happens), she's not a great believer in gesture politics either.

[Old_Geezer]

IMO regarding Diana's death; grieving publicly seemed to be more of making a deliberate show of it. Expressions were usually excessive from the general public, I doubt the family would have wanted to compete. But this situation was different and more about just being there to say a few words, rather than showing grief.

[youngmafbog]

gness, you chose to have a dig at TGL. I chose to reply in a similar vein with a labout person. You can replace 'corbyn' with any labour leader.

If you dont like it back, dont give it.

[scooping]

With 'friends' like Major, Osborne, Portillo et al who needs enemies.

[youngmafbog]

I have always quite liked Michael Portillo.

The others ......

[Ric.ror]

I meet Michael Portillio once - I was surprised how attractive he is. Not that this adds to the thread at all