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| Grenfell disaster: government to keep 'close eye' on council | Grenfell disaster: government to keep 'close eye' on council |
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| The government will keep a “close eye” on Kensington and Chelsea council, Sajid Javid has said, as pressure mounts for the local authority to be taken over by commissioners following its much-criticised conduct in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster. | The government will keep a “close eye” on Kensington and Chelsea council, Sajid Javid has said, as pressure mounts for the local authority to be taken over by commissioners following its much-criticised conduct in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster. |
| The communities secretary’s remarks on Saturday came after the council leader and his deputy resigned amid anger and close scrutiny over how the fire and its aftermath were handled. | The communities secretary’s remarks on Saturday came after the council leader and his deputy resigned amid anger and close scrutiny over how the fire and its aftermath were handled. |
| Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, had led calls for commissioners to be drafted in to take over the day-to-day running of the west London borough. Members of the shadow cabinet and local campaigners echoed the demand on Saturday. | Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, had led calls for commissioners to be drafted in to take over the day-to-day running of the west London borough. Members of the shadow cabinet and local campaigners echoed the demand on Saturday. |
| Javid said: “It is right the council leader stepped down given the initial response to the Grenfell tragedy. The process to select his successor will be independent of government, but we will be keeping a close eye on the situation. If we need to take further action, we won’t hesitate to do so.” | Javid said: “It is right the council leader stepped down given the initial response to the Grenfell tragedy. The process to select his successor will be independent of government, but we will be keeping a close eye on the situation. If we need to take further action, we won’t hesitate to do so.” |
| Speaking later from near the Grenfell Tower, Javid reiterated no options were off the table in the government’s approach to the council. He told the BBC: “In terms of any kind of intervention for any council, whenever these kind of decisions are made and they are very infrequent – and rightly so because we would be overturning your democratically elected politicians – they are quasi-judicial decisions. | Speaking later from near the Grenfell Tower, Javid reiterated no options were off the table in the government’s approach to the council. He told the BBC: “In terms of any kind of intervention for any council, whenever these kind of decisions are made and they are very infrequent – and rightly so because we would be overturning your democratically elected politicians – they are quasi-judicial decisions. |
| “It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to talk about any particular council or any particular decision that may or may not happen. But one thing is clear, the absolute priority remains looking after the victims, their families and friends, making sure they get everything they need and, in doing so, when it comes to the local council, nothing is off the table.” | “It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to talk about any particular council or any particular decision that may or may not happen. But one thing is clear, the absolute priority remains looking after the victims, their families and friends, making sure they get everything they need and, in doing so, when it comes to the local council, nothing is off the table.” |
| Hours earlier, a member of Kensington and Chelsea council’s cabinet gave a defiant interview on BBC’s Radio 4. Catherine Faulks accused media organisations of launching a “clever stunt” by trying to stop the authority meeting in secret to discuss the fire. | Hours earlier, a member of Kensington and Chelsea council’s cabinet gave a defiant interview on BBC’s Radio 4. Catherine Faulks accused media organisations of launching a “clever stunt” by trying to stop the authority meeting in secret to discuss the fire. |
| She also said news organisations had attempted to give the “impression of chaos” in their coverage of the meeting, which had to admit journalists after a high court judge ruled it was wrong to bar them. Survivors and families of victims were still not allowed in, however. | She also said news organisations had attempted to give the “impression of chaos” in their coverage of the meeting, which had to admit journalists after a high court judge ruled it was wrong to bar them. Survivors and families of victims were still not allowed in, however. |
| The council’s attempt to hold the meeting behind closed doors was condemned by Downing Street, campaigners, politicians and news organisations including the Guardian. | The council’s attempt to hold the meeting behind closed doors was condemned by Downing Street, campaigners, politicians and news organisations including the Guardian. |
| Khan said commissioners could step in to run the council until local elections are held and act in the best interests of residents “who quite rightly feel desperately neglected”. The government had no option but to appoint “untainted” leaders who had “a genuine empathy for local people and the situation they face”, he added. | Khan said commissioners could step in to run the council until local elections are held and act in the best interests of residents “who quite rightly feel desperately neglected”. The government had no option but to appoint “untainted” leaders who had “a genuine empathy for local people and the situation they face”, he added. |
| Labour backed his call, saying oversight of long subcontracting chains and checks and accountability for outsourced services like housing had failed. | Labour backed his call, saying oversight of long subcontracting chains and checks and accountability for outsourced services like housing had failed. |
| Andrew Gwynne, a shadow housing minister, told BBC Breakfast: “One of the powers the secretary of state for communities and local government has is to instigate an investigation into corporate governance, because there is clearly a corporate governance failure at Kensington and Chelsea council. | Andrew Gwynne, a shadow housing minister, told BBC Breakfast: “One of the powers the secretary of state for communities and local government has is to instigate an investigation into corporate governance, because there is clearly a corporate governance failure at Kensington and Chelsea council. |
| “He can then also instruct commissioners – now this is a very rarely, and rightly rarely used power … to go in and take control of the local authority for a temporary period. I feel that is certainly a power which should be used in this instance.” | “He can then also instruct commissioners – now this is a very rarely, and rightly rarely used power … to go in and take control of the local authority for a temporary period. I feel that is certainly a power which should be used in this instance.” |
| The shadow housing secretary, John Healey, also told Radio 4’s Today programme: “It’s right, it’s necessary, it is a big step for government to take, but this council has not been doing the job for the Grenfell Tower residents or the community around north Kensington, especially on housing and family support after the fire. | The shadow housing secretary, John Healey, also told Radio 4’s Today programme: “It’s right, it’s necessary, it is a big step for government to take, but this council has not been doing the job for the Grenfell Tower residents or the community around north Kensington, especially on housing and family support after the fire. |
| “This is where ministers need to step in, they’ve been off the pace at every stage in this tragedy, too slow to grasp the scale of the problems and too slow to act, and they need to act on this front now.” | “This is where ministers need to step in, they’ve been off the pace at every stage in this tragedy, too slow to grasp the scale of the problems and too slow to act, and they need to act on this front now.” |