Two recent pivotal moments in British politics over the Spring were the parliamentary elections, which many say was disastrous for British Prime Minister Theresa May, but an improvement for socialist Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn. The second was with the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower on Wednesday that, as of this writing, reportedly claimed the lives of at least 17 people. May and Corbyn both reportedly visited the site on Thursday, which magnified -- for better or for worse -- the reputation of both leaders. It was reported that Theresa May, however, seemed to be more distant and less engaged with the survivors, while Corbyn was seen as connecting with them and was praised for his engagement even more.
Prime Minister May 'shunned' Grenfell survivors
In fact, Prime Minister May did not spend any time with the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire at all. As Business Insider reported, May's avoidance did not go unnoticed by Grenfell residents. Business Insider referred to an article by the Daily Mirror titled: "Theresa May was s**t': distraught Grenfell Tower resident tells Jeremy Corbyn the PM 'didn't speak to any of us," which said that an unnamed resident confirmed that the Prime Minister's presence was lacking and brief.
At the same time, both leaders called for an investigation but the difference in the optics of their presence gave their statements the impact they deserved. The Mirror noted that Theresa May's statement to order a full and public inquiry into the fire came after Corbyn and London Mayor Sadiq Khan called for it.
Even more, May was there apparently speaking with firefighters without the presence of the media, members of the public, or survivors, before she quickly left. To add insult to injury, its been reported that May's new chief of staff Gavin Barwell was the minister who was in charge of housing and fire safety up until the recent election.
Corbyn rates better than Theresa May
YourGov.co.uk recently released a poll that showed a switch in popularity between May and Corbyn, where she fell to -34. In November, Corbyn's ratings were at -35. Now, the Labour leader has risen from a 40 percent rating to 75 percent. The ratings were taken from 2015 Lib Dem voters for Jeremy and 2015 Conservative voters for May.
Theresa May became Prime Minister after the country voted for Brexit last year and promised to complete the deal to pull Britain out of the European Union over two years.
As a result of the recent election, she's asked permission from the Queen to form a new government that would help them negotiate a Brexit-related deal with Ireland. Gerry Adams who is the president of Sinn Fein, accused the Prime Minister of not honoring their Good Friday agreement, which created tension between both governments. When Theresa May has been asked about the Brexit deal she's trying to negotiate, she's been very vague about it, which has frustrated British citizens.
