London fire

what's that got to do with it ww ? No matter what role you play in life some people are touchy-feely and some are not. They can't help it and to suggest otherwise isn't very nice . There are people who might smile, kiss and cuddle you but stab you in the back when you turn around or say something they don't like.

I quite agree Anniebach. Quiet and dignified empathy with the grief of others speaks volumes more than exhibitions.
Not a great fan of the Royals, but have to respect the Queen - she is probably not so cold as people imagine.
I found Diana's OTT approach rather off-putting, personally. It was all about her, not the sad souls she was meeting.

So true, Gillybob!

giily I don't agree and neither does the entire media. At times like this the country is fully entitled to a very different response than the one robotically gives us. Blair was a good example of being able to judge the country at Diana's death.

We should also judge people by their actions.

How can we judge the Tories and accept their response when we know that they have wilfully shelved the recommendations and voted against making property fit for habitation for heavens sake!!!

Well I'm so glad you feel the same way as the media . ww .

So the person who smiles st the camera, touches, kisses and cuddles is a good person and the quiet person keeping their emotions hidden is a bad person . No prejudice eh?

It's beyond question that May would have appeared publicly in Maidenhead had something happened there.

No gilly you are personalising it.

We are talking about leadership.

Keeping yourself apart from those fellow countrymen and women who are suffering so dreadfully is not a good example.
There is no prejudice. If I thought Mays conduct was a good example and one to be emulated I would say so.

She simply does not have the social skills.

May did see and was seen face to face by some of the firefighters.

I'm wondering if, in the light of certain recent atrocities, her security team is more careful of the PM's safety than usual.

I think there's too much intolerance of awkward people.

Is being seen out and about always a requirement of leadership? In what way would May's appearance with some of the victims be more in her leadership role than ordering a complete investigation into the disaster and doing her best to ensure that such a thing never happens again?

I know a lot of political leaders do show up after such awful happenings but does is really help most of the people concerned? Or does coordination of other, more practical help have more effect in the end?

think-left.org/2017/06/16/grenfell-negligence-beyond-belief/

May should do both. She has been ill advised both at this moment and in the past few weeks.

The truth is that May is simply lacking in the social skills deemed necessary to be a good leader. Without that ability to communicate she is lost.

There are indeed better communicators in the Tory party, Clarke is one, Major another, and even Cameron - heaven help us!!!

Maybe I am personalising it WW and use my DH as an example just to try and show that some people simply can't be sloppy and kissy. Maybe it's down to upbringing (My DH was brought up in a strict religious household) I was brought up by strict parents And may have been the same had it not been for My late grandparents who were the most cuddly People you could meet. I remember when DH first met my grandma and she grabbed him in a bear hug. He looked terrified.

Apologies for. Capitals popping up all over . Stupid phone give up trying to correct .

The Queen is there with Prince William - doing exactly what May should have done, having a few quiet words with people.

News just popped up on my phone saying The queen and prince Phillip are to visit the scene of the terrible fire. I do hope they both grab everyone they see in a bear hug and shower them with kisses and cuddles otherwise they will be judged "by the media", ww and others as being uncaring.

Time to end this conversation gilly it is getting us nowhere

That's fine ww you don't have to engage with me. No problem.

Corbyn wasn't sloppy and kissy. He put his arm round someone who was crying. He showed compassion, which is what was needed at the time, and still is.

The thinkleft article shows why an inquest is needed into this, and not an enquiry. Enquiries can take for ever and the results get pushed under the carpet. An inquest should be acted on.
There was an enquiry into the 2009 fire. The results were not acted on.

That's what I am reading dj

My DH is the same Gillybob - he is never demonstrative in public and apart from me & GC he never kisses or cuddles anyone - hates being hugged. But this doesnt mean he has no feelingsand in his job he had to deal with upset people frequently which he did without hugging them! If he was in PMs position he would definitely have visited people affected.
Incidentally JC cant do right for some people! If he'd stayed away he'd be criticised for hypocracy but if he goes to speak to people he is criticised for seeking publicity. Seems very unfair to me.

Her Maj is doing what her Maj does. Watch and learn May.

But this is why we have a Head of State who is above the political maelstrom - because HM does what HM does.

Always the case with those in the public eye, polly ("If he'd stayed away he'd be criticised for hypocracy but if he goes to speak to people he is criticised for seeking publicity.") If you think someone is wonderful, whatever they do is the right thing to have done. If you don't think they are wonderful, whatever they do confirms it.

Absolutely nobody is saying that May should have been huggy kissy. Thy're saying she should have talked to the people affected and shown some empathy; a 'listening face', a nod, a handshake would have been absolutely fine.

It's the avoiding the victims which has really upset people.

I can't believe what I am seeing. People are in utter distress but cameras are in their faces clicking away, they are being asked to stop but the photographers are totally ignoring them.

Inquest is a good choice of word, with a fractionally more precise meaning than investigation. Thank you.