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Anger as council ends Grenfell meeting after journalists are let in Sajid Javid expresses concern about scrapped Grenfell council meeting
(about 2 hours later)
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. The communities secretary has expressed concern after Kensington and Chelsea council shut down its first cabinet meeting since the Grenfell Tower fire after unsuccessfully trying to ban journalists from the event.
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. Sajid Javid said such meetings should be should be open and transparent, reiterating similar concerns expressed by Downing Street.
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. His comment follows chaotic scenes on Thursday when the embattled Conservative leader of the council, Nick Paget-Brown, closed the meeting after a brief statement, saying it could not continue with journalists present.
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.” The council had sought to exclude the public and media from the cabinet meeting, arguing their presence would risk disorder. But after a legal challenge from media organisations, a high court judge ordered the council to allow accredited journalists to attend.
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. Paget-Brown used the meeting to make a statement about the council’s response to the fire, in which at least 80 people died, including a partial apology.
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. But he then adjourned the meeting, saying it could not continue with journalists present, as this could prejudice the public inquiry. It is not clear how the meeting could prejudice the inquiry, as this will be led by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, a retired appeal court judge rather than a jury.
Paget-Brown’s suggestion that councillors might prejudice the inquiry was “insulting”, Atkinson said. On Friday, Javid said: “Access to the democratic process should always be open and transparent – I would urge all levels of government to always favour this approach so people can retain confidence in the system.”
Under rules set by Javid’s department, all executive meetings should be public unless there is a risk of disorder, or if the council might otherwise breach a legal obligation about confidential information.
Downing Street had expressed concern on Thursday, saying it wanted all parties involved in the fire’s aftermath “to be as open and transparent as possible, both with residents and the wider public to ensure full confidence in the response effort”.
Robert Atkinson, leader of the council’s Labour group, was furious when the meeting ended early. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the brief session descended into “utter chaos”.
He said: “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, arguing that they could have marshalled any dialogue away from topics that could have prejudiced the inquiry. Paget-Brown’s suggestion that councillors might prejudice the inquiry was “insulting”, Atkinson added.
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 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.”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. Journalists were admitted to the meeting after 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 doors were finally opened after the meeting 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.
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 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.” In an angry confrontation, a Labour councillor who represents the Grenfell Tower ward accused Paget-Brown of using the meeting as an “opportunity … to make a statement”.
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.” Beinazir Lasharie, who also represents the Notting Dale ward and who lived near the tower, was in tears at the closing of Paget-Brown’s statement. She said residents had been “fobbed off”.
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”.
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”.
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, 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.
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 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.
“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.”
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.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.