Jacob Rees-Mogg's comments were "beyond disgusting": James O'Brien

6 November 2019, 11:46 | Updated: 7 November 2019, 08:39

This is James O'Brien's visceral response to Jacob Rees-Mogg and Andrew Bridgen's controversial comments about the victims of the Grenfell tragedy.

The Conservative candidate suggested that the victims lacked "common sense" by not ignoring the fire service's stay put advice.

He has since apologised, but with passion in his voice, James tore into the people who had tried to defend his comments at the expense of the victims of the fire.

Speaking on his LBC show, James said: "Rees-Mogg should have been marched out of the cabinet so fast that his feet didn't touch the ground. The man has no business in our sovereign Parliament anymore, let alone the cabinet or the government.

"Dead British people had their memories maligned and their intelligence questioned by a member of the cabinet.

"And we've become so used to tribal warfare, we've become so entwined in binary side-picking, scarf-waving, booing and hurrahing that we've lost sight of our moral compass.

James O'Brien had strong words for Jacob Rees-Mogg
James O'Brien had strong words for Jacob Rees-Mogg. Picture: PA / LBC

"What Jacob Rees-Mogg did is beyond disgusting.

"To defend it is to be implicit in the insulting of innocent, dead children.

"This isn't about newspaper editorials. This isn't about political parties. This isn't about how you voted in 2016. This is about the kind of country you want to live in.

"Reflect for a moment on those words in 1984 by George Orwell: 'The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.'"

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