'Inhuman' Theresa May slammed over failure to answer questions on Grenfell Tower inferno in disastrous Newsnight interview

Fiona Simpson17 June 2017

Furious viewers slammed Theresa May over an “inhuman” TV interview about the Grenfell Tower disaster which left at least 30 people dead.

Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis grilled the Prime Minister over what she had done for the victims of the devastating inferno at a west London tower block.

Mrs May appeared visibly uncomfortable as she struggled to answer the question just a day after she was criticised for failing to meet with victims at the scene of the tragedy.

Ms Maitlis accused Mrs May of “misreading the public mood” surrounding the blaze.

She said: “You misread the public mood on this one. You misread the anger that people feel about this.

Visibly uncomfortable: The Prime Minister failed to answer questions on the disaster (BBC )
BBC

'They shouted coward at you this afternoon.”

Appearing to brush over the question, the Prime Minister: “What I have done since this incident took place is, first of all yesterday, ensure that public services had the support that they needed in order to be able to do the job they were doing in the immediate aftermath.”

Ms Maitlis replied: “That's three days on, Prime Minister, this is Friday evening. They needed those things in place on Wednesday.”

Protesters gather outside Downing Street as they demand justice for the Grenfell Tower residents.
Getty Images

Appearing to avoid the question further, she responded: “What I have done today is ensured that we are, as a government, putting that funding in place for people in the area.”

Pressed again on whether she had failed to understand the anger felt by the public, she said: “This was a terrible tragedy that took place. People have lost their lives and others have lost everything, all their possessions, their home and everything.

“What we are doing is putting in place the support that will help them.

A heavy police presence at the rally in Westminster.
Getty Images

“But it is a terrible tragedy. I have heard horrifying stories from the fire brigade, from police and from victims themselves who were in that tower but also from other local residents, some of whom of course have not been able to go back to their homes either.

“What I’m now absolutely focused on is ensuring that we get that support on the ground.

“Government is making money available, we are ensuring we are going to get to the bottom of what happened, we will ensure that people are rehoused, but we need to make sure that that actually happens.”

Theresa May leaving the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London.
PA

She added that a public inquiry into the fire would take place “as soon as possible” and claimed the government had acted on previous warnings raised about the safety of tower block’s in the capital.

Enraged members of the public took to social media to share their outrage surrounding the comments.

One Twitter user wrote: “Still amazed at that #Newsnight interview with May. If *this* can't make her engage like a person then nothing can.”

Barry Hearth added: “I thought that was a hologram we saw on Newsnight masquerading as the PM.”

Another viewer wrote: “How can someone be so inhuman and uncaring? Theresa May is a write off now more than ever.”

A woman is held up as she collapses during a visit to a church by PM Theresa May.
REUTERS

While Dave Branwood added: “Theresa May awful again on Newsnight. If she was in the Wizard of Oz she would be "The Tin Woman" without a heart, never mind The Iron Lady.”

The disastrous interview came just hours after crowds at St Clement’s Church, close to the scene, jeered “shame on you” during the Prime Minister’s visit.

Police protect the entourage carrying PM Theresa May from an angry crowd as she leaves Kensington.
REUTERS

As Mrs May left, an angry crowd targeted her with cries of “coward”.

One woman, who was crying, said the Prime Minister failed to speak to anyone outside the meeting, which lasted just under than hour.

Police officers held back the angry demonstrators and broke up a scuffle between members of the crowd as Mrs May's car drove off.

The PM faced initial criticism after failing to meet victims during a visit of the base of the tower site following the blaze, which broke out in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

On Friday she visited survivors at London's Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, spending nearly an hour speaking to patients and staff. She then headed to the church in north Kensington.

After her visits, Downing Street announced £5 million of funding will be spent on emergency supplies, food and clothing for the victims.

Protesters stormed the streets of West London on Friday evening demanding justice for the blaze.

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