Photo: Steve Eason

Anger at the scene of the Grenfell Tower fire

Steve Eason • June 15, 2017

Steve Eason reports from the scene of the Grenfell tower fire

I’ve lived and worked in west London for 25 years, but this morning I was almost afraid to get off the train at Latimer Road. When I did, the sight of the charred tower block made me feel sick, but as I stepped out the first thing I saw was the massive donation of water and essentials, given by Londoners, outside a nearby pub.

Photo: Steve Eason

Just missing the short, controlled, visit by Theresa May I was still able to hear angry local community activists shouting stuff like: “Don’t tell me this is not political, and please don’t tell me to behave”… and among the crowd were local MPs, and some people were crying. Young people were asking me what was going on, and I tried to answer them.

But there was rumour Corbyn was going to visit the scene and although he doesn’t have all the answers he was met by chants of “Oh Jeremy Corbyn”, which I didn’t really expect from such a sombre gathering. Myself and the press ran back and forth just hoping we ‘d get a picture of “the leader of the opposition”. We weren’t disappointed – Corbyn spoke to the emergency services, and local community leaders, and only afterwards speaking to the press. I felt a sense that “he got his prorities right” among the people of west London.