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'Where is Theresa May?' Tory Cabinet member Andrea Leadsom heckled by Grenfell Tower resident

Angry residents confronted the politician over her party's perceived lack of compassion towards the victims

Caroline Mortimer
Friday 16 June 2017 12:04 BST
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Andrea Leadsom heckled on visit to Grenfell Tower area

Andrea Leadsom has been heckled by a Grenfell Tower resident asking “Where is Theresa May”, during a visit to victims of the devastating fire.

The newly installed House of Commons leader was speaking to reporters outside a community centre helping the stricken families in west London when a man interrupted to ask why the Prime Minister had not spoken those affected during her visit.

"At least she could have met the victims. At least. [Jeremy] Corbyn, he is a good man, and he met them. He came and met the people. He didn’t come with a bunch of police...no one saw her", he said.

"Sadiq Khan, Corbyn, have come down here, not with all these bodyguards", he added.

Ms May has been widely criticised for only speaking to the emergency services during her visit to the scene on Thursday, which Downing Street said was for "security reasons".

He continued to asked if any member of the Conservative party had been to the community centre where volunteers were dropping off food, clothing and other items to help the estimated 400 people who have been made homeless by the fire.

At least 17 people have died and over 70 people were rushed to hospital following the blaze at the 24 storey tower in North Kensington in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Ms Leadsom said several ministers had visited the scene privately "to talk to residents and give practical support".

She said she was there on behalf of the entire House of Commons to express their "horror and devastation" at what had happened.

Since the confrontation, Downing Street has announced Ms May will visit survivors in hospital later this morning.

The fire is believed to have started on one of the lower floors before spreading quickly up along one corner of the building via the plastic cladding that was put on the building during a refurbishment last year.

Angry has continued to grow about the fire, especially after it emerged the type of cladding used had been banned from use on tall buildings in the US and Germany over concerns it allows fires to spread much quicker.

Some have accused the building's managers, the Kensington & Chelsea Tenants Organisation, of installing the cladding to improve the look of the 1970s tower block for the benefit of its wealthier neighbours.

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