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| Grenfell Tower inquiry criticised for excluding sociopolitical factors | Grenfell Tower inquiry criticised for excluding sociopolitical factors |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The head of the Fire Brigades Union, whose members rushed to save Grenfell Tower residents, has criticised the failure to have the judge-led inquiry into the disaster look at its social and political context. | The head of the Fire Brigades Union, whose members rushed to save Grenfell Tower residents, has criticised the failure to have the judge-led inquiry into the disaster look at its social and political context. |
| Matt Wrack said that under its current terms the investigation would fail to answer crucial questions. He said it seemed designed to protect Whitehall from scrutiny and would exacerbate the hurt felt by survivors and the families of those who died. | Matt Wrack said that under its current terms the investigation would fail to answer crucial questions. He said it seemed designed to protect Whitehall from scrutiny and would exacerbate the hurt felt by survivors and the families of those who died. |
| “The prime minister was subject to severe criticism in the days after the fire. Since then, we have seen the start of a campaign to protect the government and place the blame anywhere else, anywhere but Whitehall,” he said on Wednesday. | “The prime minister was subject to severe criticism in the days after the fire. Since then, we have seen the start of a campaign to protect the government and place the blame anywhere else, anywhere but Whitehall,” he said on Wednesday. |
| Theresa May accepted the terms of reference put forward by the inquiry’s chair, the former court of appeal judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick, on Tuesday. Moore-Bick begins work this week on examining the immediate causes of the fire and its spread, and the design and refurbishment of the tower. | Theresa May accepted the terms of reference put forward by the inquiry’s chair, the former court of appeal judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick, on Tuesday. Moore-Bick begins work this week on examining the immediate causes of the fire and its spread, and the design and refurbishment of the tower. |
| His inquiry will also look at the regulations and fire safety measures in place at the time of the blaze, in which at least 80 people died, the council’s reaction to similar emergencies, the actions of the London fire brigade on the night and the immediate responses of central and local government. | His inquiry will also look at the regulations and fire safety measures in place at the time of the blaze, in which at least 80 people died, the council’s reaction to similar emergencies, the actions of the London fire brigade on the night and the immediate responses of central and local government. |
| Moore-Bick came under pressure to also look at the social and political conditions in which a disaster such as Grenfell was able to happen, including the provision of social housing in the UK. He told May, however, that such issues were “not suitable for a judge-led inquiry”, though he said they could be covered by another process operating in parallel. | |
| In response, Wrack said: “How is it remotely possible to seriously examine the causes, spread and results of the fire without examining ‘social, economic and political’ matters?” | In response, Wrack said: “How is it remotely possible to seriously examine the causes, spread and results of the fire without examining ‘social, economic and political’ matters?” |
| He called the decision a “mighty kick of some really fundamental issues into some very long grass”. “There is clearly no intent from government for any wider inquiry or serious debate,” he said. | He called the decision a “mighty kick of some really fundamental issues into some very long grass”. “There is clearly no intent from government for any wider inquiry or serious debate,” he said. |
| The FBU argued for a broader inquiry, including a consideration of the advice given to, and actions taken by, government ministers. | The FBU argued for a broader inquiry, including a consideration of the advice given to, and actions taken by, government ministers. |
| Wrack said: “Central government has created the housing and fire safety regime and central government must be held to account for any failings in it. Yet the terms of reference signed off by Theresa May appear designed to avoid this.” | Wrack said: “Central government has created the housing and fire safety regime and central government must be held to account for any failings in it. Yet the terms of reference signed off by Theresa May appear designed to avoid this.” |
| He said the inquiry should not focus simply on the actions of a local authority or contractor. “It is about the overarching regime, the political climate under which they operate. People across the world are asking how, in the UK, it is possible to apply flammable systems of cladding to residential tower blocks. | He said the inquiry should not focus simply on the actions of a local authority or contractor. “It is about the overarching regime, the political climate under which they operate. People across the world are asking how, in the UK, it is possible to apply flammable systems of cladding to residential tower blocks. |
| “The risk in Moore-Bick’s terms of reference is that the inquiry is able to avoid probing deeper to examine the regime which allowed these deaths to happen, conveniently taking the spotlight off government ministers and any policies that were or weren’t in place that may have had an impact.” | “The risk in Moore-Bick’s terms of reference is that the inquiry is able to avoid probing deeper to examine the regime which allowed these deaths to happen, conveniently taking the spotlight off government ministers and any policies that were or weren’t in place that may have had an impact.” |
| He said investigations by the fire service and police could answer questions about how the fire started and spread, as well as who signed off work on the building. | He said investigations by the fire service and police could answer questions about how the fire started and spread, as well as who signed off work on the building. |
| “These are all essential parts of the jigsaw. But they miss crucial questions. Firefighters attending the incident were initially struck by the fact that a fire of that nature was impossible. If the agency responsible believes a fire on this scale to be so impossible that it has made no plans to react on such a scale, Moore-Bick is missing a blatantly obvious question: how could this even happen?” | “These are all essential parts of the jigsaw. But they miss crucial questions. Firefighters attending the incident were initially struck by the fact that a fire of that nature was impossible. If the agency responsible believes a fire on this scale to be so impossible that it has made no plans to react on such a scale, Moore-Bick is missing a blatantly obvious question: how could this even happen?” |
| May’s spokesman declined to comment. A spokesman for the inquiry said Moore-Bick’s reasoning for recommending the narrower terms of reference was set out in his letter to the prime minister. | May’s spokesman declined to comment. A spokesman for the inquiry said Moore-Bick’s reasoning for recommending the narrower terms of reference was set out in his letter to the prime minister. |