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Council issues brief apology for its slow response to Grenfell Tower tragedy Anger as council ends Grenfell meeting after journalists are let in
(about 9 hours later)
The embattled leader of Kensington and Chelsea council, Nick Paget-Brown, made a brief apology on Thursday for its response to the Grenfell Tower disaster at a tense meeting from which members of the public were barred and journalists allowed in only after a last-minute legal challenge. The leaders of Kensington and Chelsea council face sharp criticism after shutting down the first cabinet meeting since the Grenfell Tower disaster, with fellow councillors accusing them of hiding from residents and journalists.
This first council cabinet meeting since the fire was initially intended to be held behind closed doors, but a group of media organisations including the Guardian obtained a high court order preventing the council from banning journalists at about 6pm, half an hour before the meeting was due to start. The doors were finally opened after the meeting had got under way, although those bereaved by the disaster and local residents were not allowed in. The embattled leader of Kensington and Chelsea council, Nick Paget-Brown, made a brief apology on Thursday for its response to the fire at a tense meeting from which members of the public were barred and journalists allowed in only after a last-minute legal challenge.
Paget-Brown then adjourned the meeting, saying it could not continue with journalists present, as this could prejudice the official inquiry, which will be led by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, a retired court of appeal judge.
But Labour councillor Robert Atkinson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the brief session descended into “utter chaos”, adding: “I am ashamed of the way in which the council proceeded. They’ve been hiding from residents, they’ve been hiding from backbench councillors for over a week … The leader of the council read the statement and then was not prepared to have a debate with his own council members.”
He added that legal officers were present at the meeting on Thursday evening, arguing that they could have marshalled any dialogue away from topics that could have prejudiced the inquiry.
It is also not clear on what legal basis a claim of prejudice could be sustained as the inquiry will be led by a judge rather than a jury.
Paget-Brown’s suggestion that councillors might prejudice the inquiry was “insulting”, Atkinson said.
Atkinson called for the resignation of the deputy leader, Rock Feilding-Mellen, after documents leaked to the Times showed fireproof zinc cladding originally planned for Grenfell Tower was downgraded to the more combustible aluminium variety to save £293,000. An email about the decision said: “We need good costs for Cllr Feilding-Mellen and the planner tomorrow at 8.45am!”
Atkinson said: “These decisions do come back to the responsibility of senior councillors and the cabinet … Clearly what is appearing now is that people were taking decisions without realising the consequences of the decisions they were taking.”
This first council cabinet meeting since the fire was initially intended to be held behind closed doors, but a group of media organisations including the Guardian obtained a high court order preventing the council from banning journalists at about 6pm, half an hour before the meeting was due to start.
The doors were finally opened after the meeting had got under way, although those bereaved by the disaster and local residents were not allowed in.
In a statement read to fellow councillors and reporters, Paget-Brown said many of the criticisms of the council would be “challenged” in future.In a statement read to fellow councillors and reporters, Paget-Brown said many of the criticisms of the council would be “challenged” in future.
“We are under sustained media criticism for a slow reaction to the fire, non-visibility and for failing to invest in North Kensington. I believe that many of these criticisms need to be challenged and over time they will be, but I can think of nothing more demeaning to the memory of those lost and missing in the fire than seeking the resolution of political scores.” He said: “We are under sustained media criticism for a slow reaction to the fire, non-visibility and for failing to invest in North Kensington. I believe that many of these criticisms need to be challenged and over time they will be, but I can think of nothing more demeaning to the memory of those lost and missing in the fire than seeking the resolution of political scores.”
He acknowledged the condemnation of the council’s response to the fire and said he would “apologise for what we could have done better”. He added that the council’s “reputation with the wider community in North Kensington is damaged and in some cases fractured”.He acknowledged the condemnation of the council’s response to the fire and said he would “apologise for what we could have done better”. He added that the council’s “reputation with the wider community in North Kensington is damaged and in some cases fractured”.
Paget-Brown told the meeting: “The council will need to think about how we continue to recognise the immensity of this tragedy. It cannot be business as usual.” He said he would announce a team to oversee the “specific challenges posed by the fire and to ensure that we have a coordinated and visible response that is respected by the survivors”.Paget-Brown told the meeting: “The council will need to think about how we continue to recognise the immensity of this tragedy. It cannot be business as usual.” He said he would announce a team to oversee the “specific challenges posed by the fire and to ensure that we have a coordinated and visible response that is respected by the survivors”.
The plan to hold the meeting in private had drawn concern from Downing Street. No 10 said it wanted all parties involved in the fire aftermath “to be as open and transparent as possible, both with residents and the wider public to ensure full confidence in the response effort”. A spokeswoman said: “We would encourage everyone involved to respect this wherever possible.”The plan to hold the meeting in private had drawn concern from Downing Street. No 10 said it wanted all parties involved in the fire aftermath “to be as open and transparent as possible, both with residents and the wider public to ensure full confidence in the response effort”. A spokeswoman said: “We would encourage everyone involved to respect this wherever possible.”
Labour’s Andrew Gwynne, the shadow communities secretary, added: “In order to deliver a response that survivors, residents and the wider public can trust, there is no room for anything less than complete transparency.” Andrew Gwynne, the shadow communities secretary, added: “In order to deliver a response that survivors, residents and the wider public can trust, there is no room for anything less than complete transparency.”
Following his statement, Paget-Brown said the rest of the discussion about the tragedy could not be held with journalists present in order to avoid prejudicing the public inquiry.
The Labour group in the council demanded the resignation of the whole cabinet of the Conservative-controlled council. In an angry confrontation, a Labour councillor who represents the ward in which the tragedy took place accused Paget-Brown of using the meeting as an “opportunity … to make a statement”.The Labour group in the council demanded the resignation of the whole cabinet of the Conservative-controlled council. In an angry confrontation, a Labour councillor who represents the ward in which the tragedy took place accused Paget-Brown of using the meeting as an “opportunity … to make a statement”.
Robert Atkinson told him: “You could have issued that statement … eight days ago.” Beinazir Lasharie, who also represents the Notting Dale ward and who lived near Grenfell Tower, was in tears at the closing of Paget-Brown’s statement. She said residents had been “fobbed off”.
Beinazir Lasharie, who also represents the Notting Dale ward and who lived near Grenfell Tower, was in tears at the closing of Paget-Brown’s statement. She said residents had been “fobbed off”. She told reporters she had come to the meeting to have her questions answered on behalf of residents but had been denied. One local resident, Maryon Samuels, tried to attend the meeting but was barred from entering. “This is a continuation of what they have done from the beginning of this avoidable disaster: they have just abrogated their responsibility completely and hidden away and not come out and talked to the community,” she said.
One local resident, Maryon Samuels, went to the council’s offices to try to attend. “This is a continuation of what they have done from the beginning of this avoidable disaster: they have just abrogated their responsibility completely and hidden away and not come out and talked to the community,” she told reporters as security staff barred her entry to Kensington town hall.
The deputy leader of the Labour group within the council, Monica Press, told reporters that it was “absolutely shameful” that residents of Grenfell Tower had been barred from the meeting, calling the whole spectacle unprecedented.The deputy leader of the Labour group within the council, Monica Press, told reporters that it was “absolutely shameful” that residents of Grenfell Tower had been barred from the meeting, calling the whole spectacle unprecedented.
“They have been avoiding meeting the survivors and the bereaved, and that is what this should have been about,” she said after the meeting. Press said the whole cabinet should resign and that a commission should be brought in to run the council’s response to the fire. “They have been avoiding meeting the survivors and the bereaved, and that is what this should have been about,” she said after the meeting. Press said the cabinet should resign and that a commission should be brought in to run the council’s response to the fire.
Opening the session, Paget-Brown told colleagues: “We meet in the tragic aftermath of the worst incident to have occurred in the borough since Kensington and Chelsea was created 52 years ago, and one of London’s worst single losses of life since the second world war.Opening the session, Paget-Brown told colleagues: “We meet in the tragic aftermath of the worst incident to have occurred in the borough since Kensington and Chelsea was created 52 years ago, and one of London’s worst single losses of life since the second world war.
“There are many questions, but I want to start by remembering that it is the 80 people confirmed so far who have lost their lives and their grief-stricken families that are uppermost in our minds. They certainly have been in mine. We also know that the top of the building has not been reached yet and that a number of people are still unaccounted for having been reported missing.“There are many questions, but I want to start by remembering that it is the 80 people confirmed so far who have lost their lives and their grief-stricken families that are uppermost in our minds. They certainly have been in mine. We also know that the top of the building has not been reached yet and that a number of people are still unaccounted for having been reported missing.
“It is still almost impossible to take in the events which led to their final moments in the early hours of that summer morning.”“It is still almost impossible to take in the events which led to their final moments in the early hours of that summer morning.”
In a separate development late on Thursday, a man was charged with five counts of fraud in relation to allegations that he attempted to gain money by falsely claiming to have lost family members in the Grenfell Tower fire. In a separate development late on Thursday, a man was charged with five counts of fraud over allegations that he attempted to gain money by falsely claiming to have lost family members in the fire.
Anh Nhu Nguyen, 52, of no fixed address, is due to appear in custody at Westminster magistrates’ court on Friday. Anh Nhu Nguyen, 52, of no fixed address, is due to appear in custody at Westminster magistrates court on Friday.