Deadly tower blaze highlights London's rich-poor divide

[webfact]

Deadly tower blaze highlights London's rich-poor divide

By Estelle Shirbon and Alistair Smout

 

A general view shows the tower block that was destroyed in a fire disaster, in north Kensington, West London, Britain June 15, 2017. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Within a short walk from the social housing block in west London where 17 people - and perhaps many more - died in a devastating fire are some of Britain's wealthiest streets, lined with elegant, multi-million-pound townhouses.

 

The borough of Kensington and Chelsea is famous in Britain and beyond as the home of pop stars and other celebrities, jet-setters and bankers.

 

But it also has pockets of deprivation like the housing estate where the doomed 24-storey Grenfell Tower stands.

Dozens of residents are missing and authorities say the death toll could rise further after an inferno engulfed the building with terrifying speed as residents slept in the early hours of Wednesday. The lucky ones got out alive, but have lost everything.

 

The disaster has prompted an outpouring of generosity, with shocked Londoners donating so many clothes, shoes and bedsheets that volunteers were soon overwhelmed.

 

People look at smoke billowing from a tower block severly damaged by a serious fire, in north Kensington, West London, Britain June 14, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville

 

But on the streets around the charred carcass of the tower on Thursday there was palpable anger as people accused the local authority of neglecting the safety and wellbeing of the poor in favour of policies favouring the interests of the rich.

 

Alia Al-Ghabbani, a receptionist who lives on the estate, was among many angered by a recent refurbishment in which new cladding was added to the exterior of the building and which media reports have said might have played a part in the rapid spread of the fire.

 

"It's really irritating why they prettied up the tower ... It's because that tower was such an eyesore for these people in very expensive houses just opposite," she said.

 

The fire service has said it was too early to know what caused the blaze, and the local authority has said the refurbishment was designed to improve quality of life for residents of the block.

 

"A TALE OF TWO CITIES"

 

Community organiser Pilgrim Tucker, who had worked closely with residents of Grenfell Tower during the refurbishment period, saw the blaze as the tragic consequence of long-term neglect of an entire section of the community.

 

"People here in the social housing know they’ve been neglected," she said, visibly distressed as she spoke. "If government was doing its job … this wouldn’t have happened."

 

As Tucker and others reported that fire safety concerns raised by residents had fallen on deaf ears, the fallout from the disaster fed into the broader political picture.

 

In a shock election result last week, the ruling Conservatives, who emphasise fiscal discipline, low tax and pro-business credentials, lost ground to the opposition Labour Party, who favour more spending on public services.

 

To general astonishment, the Kensington parliamentary constituency, where the Grenfell Tower stands, was won by Labour for the first time in its history.

 

The new Labour MP Emma Dent Coad has been quick to try to make her mark, criticising the council, in a newspaper interview, for perceived safety failings and saying the tragedy was preventable.

 

Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May visited Grenfell Tower on Thursday, but was criticised for speaking only to firefighters and not to residents.

 

In contrast, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was cheered after visiting a nearby church and meeting residents and volunteers helping out, with locals shouting "thank you for coming".

 

"Something you can't avoid is that Kensington is a tale of two cities," Corbyn told reporters.

 

"The south part of Kensington is incredibly wealthy, it's the wealthiest part of the whole country. The ward where this fire took place is, I think, the poorest ward in the whole country."

 

"A CERTAIN SORT OF PEOPLE"

 

The area immediately around the Grenfell block, known as Notting Dale, is a socially mixed neighbourhood. The gritty 1970s social housing estate is surrounded by pretty streets lined with the well-tended, privately owned homes of affluent professionals -- though not of millionaires. They live a few minutes away, in the prestigious Holland Park area.

 

In Notting Dale, despite local anger, the blaze has united different sides of the community all the same. Many wealthier residents have opened up their homes to tenants who fled the tower, or others who were evacuated because their flats were too close to the blaze.

 

Anabel Donald, a well-to-do grandmother, has lent her ground-floor apartment to six people from the estate who had nowhere else to go.

 

On the night of the fire, Donald rushed to the local church in her pyjamas and spent hours helping evacuees as best she could, making tea, providing toys to entertain the children and cleaning the toilets which were being used by dozens of people.

 

Though from the wealthier side of the street, Donald shared the outrage of other residents about the way Kensington and Chelsea has been run by the Conservative local council.

 

"The feeling is, among the less privileged, that they get nothing and that the more privileged get everything. I think it is absolutely true," said Donald.

 

She accused the council of keeping taxes unnecessarily low, when it could easily raise more money to spend on social housing and other public services. She said she would happily pay more local tax herself.

 

"They’re just very proud of being such an economical borough and they do it because they think it will please a certain sort of people," she said.

 

Amid the horror of the tower blaze, she said social divisions had seemed to matter less than usual.

 

"I have never felt more accepted in this area than I was when I was helping, because they didn’t care which side of the divide I came from. All they cared about was I was playing with their children, giving them nappies, giving them tea and coffee."

 

(Additional reporting by Michael Holden, Kate Holton and Will James; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Richard Balmforth)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-06-16

[Scott]

Off-topic post and reply removed.  

[lovelomsak]

Well what will their mayor have to say.

Maybe he is corrupt huh.

[soalbundy]

Class was always an issue in the UK, let the divide get too big and the hammer and sickle will appear in front of number 10, the British are a patient lot, not prone to extreme action but don't overdo it.

[DGS1244]

Class differences has nothing to do with the fire, try poor fire engineering and design. Nothing new, happened in Dubai with almost brand new buildings.

[Laughing Gravy]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

To general astonishment, the Kensington parliamentary constituency, where the Grenfell Tower stands, was won by Labour for the first time in its history.

 

You fill the place with immigrants, get rid of the original cockneys and yes you will probably get a labour government. Those people who doubt what I say about it consisting of immigrants, just watch the interviews from people living there. When I lived in that borough 30 years ago, it was a totally different place to now. There a few weeks ago and back again soon.

I will hold judgment on who to blame just yet. A terrible tragedy whatever.

[IMA_FARANG]

I thought London was a "egalitarian town" under the Conservative government.

Just like Donald Trump  and the Republicans in my home country of the U.S.A.

 

[trogers]

31 minutes ago, DGS1244 said:

Class differences has nothing to do with the fire, try poor fire engineering and design. Nothing new, happened in Dubai with almost brand new buildings.

Like the report had stated, the original design in the early 70s was already lacking in adequate fire safety: lack of fire escape, alarm and sprinklers.

 

Nor were these shortcomings upgraded through the decades.

 

And suddenly, a large chunk is spent on a pretty dress to cover the building to make the neighbourhood visually prettier.

 

I would expect such behaviours from the private sector, and not from a local council.

[bert bloggs]

3 hours ago, Grouse said:

Great idea of the CON Party to neglect social housing, sell off Council housing and allow unscrupulous landlords to make "a killing". Another nail in Thatcher's coffin. I do hope jail terms are handed down!

Rubbish ,very few of these flats were privatly owned ,also most were lived in by immigrants to the UK ,hardly a native British person amongst them ,its no wonder that there are so many people who cant get a council property .

As for Thatcher selling the Council propertys to people who lived in them ,it was a fantastic idea ,at last people who had never had a hope of owning their own property were given the chance 

[Laughing Gravy]

20 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

As for Thatcher selling the Council propertys to people who lived in them ,it was a fantastic idea ,at last people who had never had a hope of owning their own property were given the chance 

 

21 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

Rubbish ,very few of these flats were privatly owned ,also most were lived in by immigrants to the UK ,hardly a native British person amongst them ,its no wonder that there are so many people who cant get a council property .

This is very true and people are frightened to speak out for being branded a racist or bigot which is not true.  The flats go for 2000 pound plus which the council pays

 

Has anyone else noticed in the media how they are trying to spin things. The tragedy is no doubt terrible but claiming if it wasn't for Muslims and Ramadam more people would have died is tasteless and baseless.

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/london-fire-muslim-wake-early-ramadan-fast-grenfell-tower-resident-live-save-north-kensington-a7789111.html

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/london-fire-muslims-breaking-ramadan-fast-may-have-saved-lives-in-grenfell-tower_uk_59410ad3e4b0d3185486088c

[sanemax]

1 hour ago, Laughing Gravy said:

You fill the place with immigrants, get rid of the original cockneys

The area isnt and never has been "Cockney" , Cockneys come from the otherside of town

[geriatrickid]

If they were unhappy with their accommodations, they had the option of moving. Perhaps if they  did not expect subsidized housing, that would help.

[trogers]

33 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

If they were unhappy with their accommodations, they had the option of moving. Perhaps if they  did not expect subsidized housing, that would help.

HK and Singapore (ex-colonies) also provided subsidized housing to the less fortunate, but never with such inadequacy in fire safety.

[thaibeachlovers]

From the OP

Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May visited Grenfell Tower on Thursday, but was criticised for speaking only to firefighters and not to residents.

 

In contrast, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was cheered after visiting a nearby church and meeting residents and volunteers helping out, with locals shouting "thank you for coming".

 

Says it all. In the past, before the upper class was severely damaged by the 2 wars they were hereditary, but now it's money. Still the same disdain for poor people though.

[Laughing Gravy]

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

The area isnt and never has been "Cockney" , Cockneys come from the otherside of town

It was actually meant as a 'loose term'. The point is few who were born in London (except children) were residents and in that particular area is as the article states A Tale of Two Cities'.

[champers]

I hope the public inquiry will cover the possibility that gerrymandering has been going on in Kensington and Chelsea. Some residents in Grenfell Tower describe being treated like vermin by the local council. Did the local council deliberately ignore resident concerns in an attempt to drive them out of the borough?

[Krataiboy]

Yeah, but. . .  excuse me if I do a little editing here.

 

In a shock election result last week, the ruling Conservatives, who emphasise fiscal discipline, low tax and pro-business credentials, screwing the working classes, lost ground to the opposition Labour Party

[ilostmypassword]

2 hours ago, Laughing Gravy said:

It was actually meant as a 'loose term'. The point is few who were born in London (except children) were residents and in that particular area is as the article states A Tale of Two Cities'.

You mean it was meant to mean something it had never meant before and still doesn't know. You should look up the Humpty Dumpty section of Through the Looking Glass.

[Laughing Gravy]

13 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

You mean it was meant to mean something it had never meant before and still doesn't know. You should look up the Humpty Dumpty section of Through the Looking Glass.

I know what I mean and I could tell you what I mean and what I think of your reply but I would get a ban.

[Grouse]

4 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

If they were unhappy with their accommodations, they had the option of moving. Perhaps if they  did not expect subsidized housing, that would help.

I don't like that tone.

 

i recommend you withdraw your comment before I report

[dunroaming]

7 hours ago, lovelomsak said:

Well what will their mayor have to say.

Maybe he is corrupt huh.

Which mayor will that be then?  This problem has been there for years so take your pick.  Red Ken?  Buffoon Boris or the latest one?

 

This is another tragedy for London and playing political games over it is despicable.  For that reason I have not got involved in these "discussions" and I won't start now.

[alfieconn]

9 hours ago, Grouse said:

Great idea of the CON Party to neglect social housing, sell off Council housing and allow unscrupulous landlords to make "a killing". Another nail in Thatcher's coffin. I do hope jail terms are handed down!

What are you talking about ? What unscrupulous landlord's ? jail terms handed down to who ? a percentage of the block is social housing !!!

Edited June 16, 2017 by alfieconn

[Briggsy]

How has a fire been twisted into a class war with overtones of racism against immigrants in the press in under 48 hours?

[Grouse]

1 minute ago, alfieconn said:

What are you talking about ? What unscrupulous landlord's ? jail terms handed down to who ? 

The people who awarded the contacts, put cost before safety, ignored regulations, used inferior materials, failed to keep exits illuminated and clear, failed to keep fire fighting equipment in good order, failed to listen to the fears of the residents, failed to install sprinklers, thought a single exit was OK....shall I go on? 

 

You see I can remember when council housing was built to higher standards than private housing!

 

It is shameful that this has happened and I expect charges of criminal negligence to be brought.

[soalbundy]

Just now, Briggsy said:

How has a fire been twisted into a class war with overtones of racism against immigrants in the press in under 48 hours?

Daily Express i presume, if you read the comments from the great unwashed who subscribe to that rag you can find connections to WW2 and Brexit

[soalbundy]

52 minutes ago, Grouse said:

I don't like that tone.

 

i recommend you withdraw your comment before I report

Oh tremble tremble, a PC warrior has just got out of bed.

[Briggsy]

3 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

Daily Express i presume, if you read the comments from the great unwashed who subscribe to that rag you can find connections to WW2 and Brexit

Nah, the Express would be spinning it the other way blaming the immigrants for roasting goats in the corridor on bits of wood they have just hacked off council trees.

 

I think this is likely to have come from Momentum.

[alfieconn]

7 minutes ago, Grouse said:

The people who awarded the contacts, put cost before safety, ignored regulations, used inferior materials, failed to keep exits illuminated and clear, failed to keep fire fighting equipment in good order, failed to listen to the fears of the residents, failed to install sprinklers, thought a single exit was OK....shall I go on? 

 

You see I can remember when council housing was built to higher standards than private housing!

 

It is shameful that this has happened and I expect charges of criminal negligence to be brought.

You originally said,

Quote

 sell off Council housing and allow unscrupulous landlords to make "a killing"

A. Part of it is social housing  B. the other part would have been sold to Council tenant's,

 

So who are the unscrupulous landlords ?  and why are they unscrupulous ? charge of criminal negligence bought against who ?  

[Grouse]

7 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

Oh tremble tremble, a PC warrior has just got out of bed.

"If they were unhappy with their accommodations, they had the option of moving. Perhaps if they  did not expect subsidized housing, that would help."

 

Many met a horrific death. The Statement above is inappropriate and offensive.

 

I am in no way politically correct but nor am I a sick inhumane ape either!

[AGareth2]

I want to reserve judgement till the cause of the initial fire is identified