Off Topic Horrific tower block fire in Kensington

Out of order, Col.

 

May should've fronted it and met survivors, off camera to chosen people if need be, but she should have fronted up and shown leadership.

That being said those SWP Trots had their placards signs printed early didn't they. These ****s really do try and latch onto anything and they'll only do the Labour Party a disservice with their entryist bullshit.

 

The perverse thing is that the response to disasters actually improves the economy - The gargantuan rebuild in Japan after the tsunami has had a major positive economic impact. Jobs, supply chains, manufacturing all benefit. We should look at a major refit of all blocks which need it in terms of net economic impact rather than which government budget is under pressure. And of course in terms of it being a mark of a civilised, 'rich', society that everyone has a decent, safe place to live.

 

It's not perverse at all though is it? Just another argument against austerity. Sorry, there I go again.

 

If it had been about austerity, the council would not have spent over £8 million carrying out eco improvements. The problem was the nature of the work - someone needs to be accountable for use of materials that are banned in the US and Germany for being inflammable and emitting poison gases when burning.

 

I don't think it's necessarily about austerity, but rather always looking for the cheapest solution - which happens with, or without, government involvement. It's also about having slow reactions - ie. Germany and the USA. did not ban this form of insulation for no reason so why was there no reaction in the UK. ? Admittedly these things are often in hindsight - how long did it take for asbestos to finally disappear in all countries ? But a ban in one country should, automatically, be a red alert in others. The other problem is that finding the 'someone' responsible will come up against a wall of buck passing.

 

Agreed. The money was there for "improvements". Contractors appear unforgivably to have cut a small financial corner (and regulators approved it) with devastating effects.

 

It's absolutely astounding that you and your Momentum mates can spew hatred and bile towards anything remotely Tory and yet you can't stand the slightest criticism of yourselves.
As Tooting says (#102), you Trots are just as shameful as the worst Tories.

 

Out of order again. I have nothing to do with Trots, Momentum, or even the Labour party. I just have my own opinions. If you don't like them, tough.

 

Stroller and Col
Please can you just show some respect on this thread.

Leave the personal arguments alone here
Thanks

 

Fair enough, Beth. I won't post on this thread again.

 

Apologies.

 

Thank you both. Much appreciated

 

A bit extreme, Strolls? Of course, families have burned to death in a tower block and understandably emotions are running high everywhere. But we always find equilibrium eventually, and sometimes even bring sense to situations

 

Give it a ****ing rest Col.

 

Ninesy would know more, but I'm a fire warden at work and as part of the training the fellow doing it said; almost every piece of fire regulation is reactive in this country. A hotel has to burn down for hotels to require adequate fire precautions and then its only passed for hotels. A department store has to burn down for an Act to specify department stores need sprinklers and enough exits etc

However I'm surprised there's no legislation on the cladding being resistant, and surely the fact that the fire exit and stairs were compromised so quickly must mean some standard has been breached.

 

Sprinkler systems look like one obvious fix but the authorities need to find a system that's vandal-proof. It's no good if every time some idiot flicks his cigarette lighter under a sensor, the whole block takes a soaking

 

PS As you were - for a minute back there, I thought this was the Politics Thread...

 

Sprinklers are normally localized in buildings.

 

I believe nevertheless that sprinklers let off in communal areas can do a lot of damage, particularly when done persistently. I guess it's a problem where high rises are open to all, and access is not restricted to key or code as in private apartment blocks. Just something that has to be lived with, presumably