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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| London fire: bishop describes residents' angry meeting with May | London fire: bishop describes residents' angry meeting with May |
| (7 months later) | |
| Bishop of Kensington, who attended Downing Street talks, says time will tell whether actions follow Theresa May’s reassuring words | |
| Press Association | |
| Sun 18 Jun 2017 10.29 BST | |
| Last modified on Fri 15 Sep 2017 20.18 BST | |
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| People affected by the Grenfell Tower fire were passionate and angry during a lengthy exchange with Theresa May, according to a bishop who sat with them. | People affected by the Grenfell Tower fire were passionate and angry during a lengthy exchange with Theresa May, according to a bishop who sat with them. |
| Sixteen “very ordinary people” voiced their concerns to the prime minister in an unprecedented Downing Street meeting and afterwards finally felt listened to, the bishop of Kensington, Graham Tomlin, said. | Sixteen “very ordinary people” voiced their concerns to the prime minister in an unprecedented Downing Street meeting and afterwards finally felt listened to, the bishop of Kensington, Graham Tomlin, said. |
| He said he was hopeful the meeting, which lasted nearly two hours and was attended by victims, residents, community leaders and volunteers, was the starting point for a process of lasting change. | He said he was hopeful the meeting, which lasted nearly two hours and was attended by victims, residents, community leaders and volunteers, was the starting point for a process of lasting change. |
| “I’m positive because I think it was a real chance for local residents, people affected by this tragedy, to voice their concerns directly to the prime minister so that she could hear them,” he said. | “I’m positive because I think it was a real chance for local residents, people affected by this tragedy, to voice their concerns directly to the prime minister so that she could hear them,” he said. |
| “That’s why I’m positive about it, because I think in the past local residents here have not always been listened to.” | “That’s why I’m positive about it, because I think in the past local residents here have not always been listened to.” |
| He said they had been left feeling “that decisions are taken about their lives and their homes that they are not party to” and that their sense of being ignored was a source of deep frustration. | He said they had been left feeling “that decisions are taken about their lives and their homes that they are not party to” and that their sense of being ignored was a source of deep frustration. |
| “I thought the way they expressed themselves with a mixture of passion and reason was fantastic, and I hope it’s the beginning of a process, not the end of a process – the beginning of a process of real listening between government, RBKC [Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council], local residents, that will bring about lasting change.” | “I thought the way they expressed themselves with a mixture of passion and reason was fantastic, and I hope it’s the beginning of a process, not the end of a process – the beginning of a process of real listening between government, RBKC [Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council], local residents, that will bring about lasting change.” |
| May released a statement after the meeting in which she said support on the ground for families in the immediate aftermath of the blaze had not been good enough. | May released a statement after the meeting in which she said support on the ground for families in the immediate aftermath of the blaze had not been good enough. |
| She said she had ordered daily progress reports on housing for those affected, and vowed the public inquiry into the disaster would be open and transparent. | She said she had ordered daily progress reports on housing for those affected, and vowed the public inquiry into the disaster would be open and transparent. |
| Tomlin said the residents had gone from living normal lives before the tragedy to bringing their frustrations to the very top of government. | Tomlin said the residents had gone from living normal lives before the tragedy to bringing their frustrations to the very top of government. |
| “Clearly it’s quite unprecedented for 16 very ordinary people, who this time last week were walking their dogs or talking to each other in the streets around here and north Kensington, actually to be in 10 Downing Street talking face to face with the prime minister,” he said. “I think it was a good thing to do.” | “Clearly it’s quite unprecedented for 16 very ordinary people, who this time last week were walking their dogs or talking to each other in the streets around here and north Kensington, actually to be in 10 Downing Street talking face to face with the prime minister,” he said. “I think it was a good thing to do.” |
| Asked whether there had been angry exchanges, he said: “We tried to hold it well as a meeting. There was passion, there was anger, but there was good, hard, reasoned argument used by the residents.” | Asked whether there had been angry exchanges, he said: “We tried to hold it well as a meeting. There was passion, there was anger, but there was good, hard, reasoned argument used by the residents.” |
| Questioned as to whether there was anger about May’s initial visit to the west London site during which she did not meet residents, he said: “We didn’t talk directly about that.” | Questioned as to whether there was anger about May’s initial visit to the west London site during which she did not meet residents, he said: “We didn’t talk directly about that.” |
| Tomlin said he believed residents left the meeting feeling “reassured that they were listened to” but “time will tell as to whether it makes a difference”. | Tomlin said he believed residents left the meeting feeling “reassured that they were listened to” but “time will tell as to whether it makes a difference”. |
| Grenfell Tower fire | |
| Housing | |
| Social housing | |
| London | |
| Communities | |
| Theresa May | |
| news | |
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