Rapper Stormzy has called for the resignation of Conservative MP and Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg after he suggested that the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire should have used 'common sense' and disobeyed fire service orders to stay where they were.
The MP for North East Somerset made the remarks on LBC's Nick Ferrari Show on Monday, but has now made a public apology after receiving widespread condemnation.
Rees-Mogg told the show: "The more one's read over the weekend about the report and about the chances of people surviving, if you just ignore what you're told and leave you are so much safer.
"And I think if either of us were in a fire, whatever the fire brigade said, we would leave the burning building. It just seems the common sense thing to do.
"And it is such a tragedy that that didn't happen."
Stormzy, who has been a passionate and vocal supporter of the justice for the victims of the 2017 tragedy, during which 72 people were killed, wrote: "Oi [Jacob Rees-Mogg] you need to resign you're an actual piece of s*** I beg everyone watch this - MP Jacob Rees Mogg in a nutshell saying Grenfell Victims should of had the common sense to escape.
"I can't believe the cheek f***ing hell these politicians are actual aliens."
The grime artist shared a video of Rees-Mogg's comments, and added: "My man said 'If either of us were in fire, whatever the fire brigade said, we'd leave a burning building' as if to say 'come on bro, they were just dumb', as if those who lost their lives weren't smart enough to escape.
"F***ing hell this man is the scummiest."
"You can't even make this stuff up.
"Donny said 'If you JUST ignore what you're told and leave you are so much safer' BRUV!!!!! Let's bare [sic] in mind for 2 secs how horrifying and terrifying the situation would of been for the victims.
"Deep that for 2 secs."
He continued: "And then imagine they're being instructed by fire fighters - trusted government authorities - to stay put.
"This scumbag is saying 'well boy you lot are dumb to of listened then' can you imagine ?!!!!Oi get this p***k out of here these man are scumbags and they are wicked and evil.
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"Bare of you politicians are evil and wicked and this is why we hate you 72 (??) people died in a tragedy that you people are to blame for.
"You've just caused some PR/media frenzy in the past week sending out headlines saying it was the fire brigades fault like we're stupid.
"The government are to blame for Grenfell not the fire brigade."
"Point blank. I don't know the ins and outs and I'm sure the fire fighters made some errors, to what extent I don't know but nah we ain't gonna act like the brave men and women who went in there are the main reason this happened get the f*** out of here Lmao we ain't that dumb lads.
"This is blood on the British government's hands. Grenfell was their fault and their fault alone."
Survivors' group Grenfell United also condemned Rees-Mogg's words in a statement that said: "The Leader of the House of Commons suggesting that the 72 people who lost their lives at Grenfell lacked common sense is beyond disrespectful.
"It is extremely painful and insulting to bereaved families."
Rees-Mogg issued an apology earlier on Tuesday in which he said: "What I meant to say is that I would have also listened to the fire brigade's advice to stay and wait at the time.
"However, with what we know now and with hindsight I wouldn't and I don't think anyone else would. I would hate to upset the people of Grenfell if I was unclear in my comments."
A recent inquiry into the causes of the disaster found that fewer people would have been killed if the London Fire Brigade had taken certain courses of action earlier on.
They told residents to 'stay-put' in their flats for hours after the blaze started. That protocol is in place to stop hundreds of people trying to escape via a stairway at once.
The Brigade's commissioner Dany Cotton said that now, knowing about the external cladding that contributed to the fire's devastation, they would respond differently.
She said: "Knowing what we know now about Grenfell Tower and similar buildings with ACM cladding, our response would be very different."
Matt Wrack, Fire Brigade Union general secretary, said: "Residents were thrown into a terrifying, impossible situation at Grenfell - for Jacob Rees-Mogg to suggest it would be 'common sense' to ignore the advice that they were given was crass and insensitive. It was also callously irresponsible for a senior government figure to suggest that the public should ignore firefighters when they are in a fire.
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"The 'stay put' policy was designed for circumstances when an evacuation is not safe and has saved countless lives in the past.
"However, there was no clear guidance for what firefighters should do when it failed at Grenfell. Crucially, Rees-Mogg's Tory colleagues, Eric Pickles and Gavin Barwell, ignored warnings about the need for alternative evacuation procedures when 'stay put' fails. Perhaps the Commons Leader should look closer to home."
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