Mal Fletcher comments on the Day of Rage protests set to take place outside Britain's Parliament tomorrow.

Mal Fletcher

The so-called Day of Rage protests set to take place outside Britain's Parliament tomorrow will do almost nothing to alleviate the pain of recent victims of terror attacks and the Grenfell Tower fire.

Grief should not be politicised in this way, with ideologues (on either side) seeking to score political points on the back of human tragedies which, even if only indirectly, impact upon us all.

Yes, anger needs an outlet. But people who suffer as a direct result of tragedy need for us to be focused on them, not to see political action groups grabbing the spotlight within days, for their own ideological gain.

There are definitely questions to be answered about such specifics as public housing, construction regulations, police funding and more. There is an urgent need for authorities national, regional and local to press for answers and find solutions. People must and will be held to account.

Justice must be served, but it is seldom found in proceedings inspired by opportunistic political lynch mobs.

Mass expressions of anger, directed at any major political party, do nothing to locate the problems and offer solutions.

The Church of Scientology was, rightly I think, accused of opportunism when in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire it pitched tents and promoted its services near by. This march is no less opportunistic.

Protests of this kind are politically motivated. That in itself has a place in the nation's political discourse. But that place is not here, at this particular time.

This protest will not primarily honour those who've perished, nor is it likely to offer practical hope or help to those who still desperately need assistance and support.

In the wake of Manchester's terror attack, the city held a huge concert to promote healing, with massive public support. If there must be a public expression for recent events in London, how about a Day of Hope instead?