Tragedies and our Reaction

McDonnell and Corbyn.  Dangerous men

When my sister died young from a health matter, my first reaction wasn't to ask who was to blame.  The relevant professionals had done their best.  There was certainly no intent to kill her. Nor do we necessarily need to point the blame on an individual when something goes wrong.  Let's take some examples, and then consider the Labour leadership.

THE HERALD OF FREE ENTERPRISE

Thirty years ago the Herald of Free Enterprise sank in the English Channel when it set sail with its bow doors open. This was apparently not un-common , and was an accident waiting to happen.  193 passengers and crew lost their lives in the murky water outside Zeebrugge harbour.

The coroner's inquest reached a verdict of "unlawful killing", citing design flaws in the ship as contributory factors. In particular, the bridge did not have sight of the bow doors nor any warning system that the doors were open, which is an obvious safety matter.   Criminal prosecutions for manslaughter of senior personnel and the Herald's corporate owners followed. Whilst the cases collapsed, the idea that such negligence could and should be criminal at both personal and corporate level was firmly established.

HILLSBOROUGH

Today, 28 years and over 10000 days after nearly a hundred people died at the Hillsborough stadium, criminal prosecutions are also being brought for manslaughter against the police commander at the stadium and five others.  There is a significant difference to the Herald case.  This is principally about actions on the day, not about the safety regime. 

One has to wonder if charges have been brought simply so someone is held accountable, rather than for any useful purpose.  Nobody will be brought back from the dead.  Lessons have already been learned, and the people charged have surely suffered enough in their consciences already.   I'll say no more whilst the prosecutions are in progress.

GRENFELL TOWER

Estimates of the death toll as a result of the recent fire at Grenfell Tower are of a similar magnitude.  There have been immediate calls to hold someone to account. 

As the "Factcheck" article in today's "i" newspaper (right) suggests, there are deficiencies in the Building Regulations that go back decades, across all hues of Governments.  But fundamentally the products used were against the manufacturer's advice in respect of a tower of that height.  Subsequent tests on many other high-rise blocks have all failed fire tests.  Yet every one of those buildings was presumably inspected during construction at least once.

Grenfell is a national disaster that has highlighted a major national problem that has arisen over decades. It is not the time to score cheap political points.

Yet that is exactly what senior members of the Labour party have done, before the facts have been established:

1. Jeremy Corbyn has tweeted that he blames the fire on Tory austerity.  As many of the blocks had the relevant work carried out by Labour Councils back under a Labour government, his claim is clearly absurd
2. John MacDonnell has called it "murder", when clearly it could only be manslaughter.  His own party has admonished him.

The point is these two people are currently lined up to become Prime Minister and Chancellor if Labour were to win the next General Election.  That could be as early as August this year.  These are just two examples of why these men are unfit to govern.  Recent converts to the Corbyn bandwagon should take note.  These are dangerous men, in economics, defence, and any other matter that requires judgement.