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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Grenfell fire: Kensington council cancels meeting after High Court lets journalists attend | Grenfell fire: Kensington council cancels meeting after High Court lets journalists attend |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| Officials at Kensington and Chelsea council have adjourned a cabinet meeting after press were allowed to attend, claiming it would "prejudice" the forthcoming public inquiry. | Officials at Kensington and Chelsea council have adjourned a cabinet meeting after press were allowed to attend, claiming it would "prejudice" the forthcoming public inquiry. |
| The High Court earlier ruled that the council must let journalists attend the meeting - the first to be held by the local authority since the Grenfell Tower fire - after reporters were initially told they were barred. | |
| The decision by the leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Nicholas Paget-Brown, to postpone the meeting on Thursday afternoon triggered an angry response including from opposition councillor Robert Atkinson, who demanded the cabinet's resignation. | The decision by the leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Nicholas Paget-Brown, to postpone the meeting on Thursday afternoon triggered an angry response including from opposition councillor Robert Atkinson, who demanded the cabinet's resignation. |
| Mr Paget-Brown had already begun a statement on the authority's response to the crisis when reporters arrived. | Mr Paget-Brown had already begun a statement on the authority's response to the crisis when reporters arrived. |
| After giving a short update, he announced to the room: "Given the public inquiry, we want to ensure our meetings do not descend into informal inquiries without all the facts to hand. | After giving a short update, he announced to the room: "Given the public inquiry, we want to ensure our meetings do not descend into informal inquiries without all the facts to hand. |
| "As you will be aware this is a private meeting of the cabinet, to which other Kensington and Chelsea councillors have been invited." | "As you will be aware this is a private meeting of the cabinet, to which other Kensington and Chelsea councillors have been invited." |
| Mr Atkinson intervened: "Why are press here, then?" | Mr Atkinson intervened: "Why are press here, then?" |
| Mr Paget-Brown continued: "I have agreed the meeting be held in private, given the subject under discussion and the recent real threats of assault on council staff and damage to buildings. | Mr Paget-Brown continued: "I have agreed the meeting be held in private, given the subject under discussion and the recent real threats of assault on council staff and damage to buildings. |
| "I am advised that, if there are others present, we cannot have an open discussion." | "I am advised that, if there are others present, we cannot have an open discussion." |
| Mr Paget-Brown continued: "We can't have an open discussion." | |
| "You can't even organise a cabinet meeting," Mr Atkinson interjected, angrily. | |
| The council leader said: "We can't have an unprejudiced discussion in this room with the public inquiry that is about to take place, if journalists are recording and writing our comments. | |
| "I'm told the press are here as a result of legal intervention, that therefore means we cannot have a discussion as we were intending to have as that would prejudice the public inquiry. | |
| "That is the advice I have received and therefore I have to declare the meeting closed." | |
| Reporters have a legal right to attend public meetings of local authorities. | |
| Additional reporting PA | Additional reporting PA |