London borough leader resigns after tower block fire

[rooster59]

London borough leader resigns after tower block fire

 

LONDON (Reuters) - The head of the local council in the London borough where at least 80 people died in a fire in a social housing tower block resigned on Friday after he was criticised for the organisation's handling of the disaster.

 

"As council leader, I have to accept my share of responsibility for these perceived failings," Nicholas Paget-Brown, the leader of Kensington & Chelsea council, said in a statement.

 

He acknowledged criticism of his decision on Thursday to suspend a council meeting on the June 14 disaster at Grenfell Tower when media attempted to follow proceedings, something he said was necessary to avoid compromising a public inquiry.

 

A spokeswoman for Prime Minister Theresa May earlier on Friday criticised the decision to try to hold the council meeting in private.

 

"It cannot be right that this should have become the focus of attention when so many are dead or are unaccounted for," Paget-Brown, a member of May's Conservative Party, said.

 

Britain named a former judge on Thursday to lead the inquiry into the inferno.

 

Residents of the block want to know why the fire spread so rapidly and whether proper fire safety measures had been in place. They also want explanations about why their concerns had been ignored.

 

May has also been widely criticised for her initial response to the blaze.

 

Earlier on Friday, the government said 149 high-rise buildings have failed safety tests carried out after the fire at Grenfell Tower.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-07-01

[colinneil]

Arrogant prick, yes get out quick before you get lynched.

[darksidedog]

"Perceived failings?" The evidence suggests that the failings were not perceived. They were blatant, multiple, ongoing and disgraceful. The only surprise in his resignation is that it didn't come a lot sooner. As the Council leader he holds the responsibility for everything that happens in the Borough, so I hope his name is not left off the list when criminal charges are dished out. People died horribly because this council ignored multiple warnings.

Edited July 1, 2017 by darksidedog

[perthperson]

A more informative report about this sl*me ball in the link.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/30/kensington-and-chelsea-council-leader-nicholas-paget-brown-quits-in-wake-of-grenfell-disaster

[champers]

Any inquiry should include gerrymandering in it's scope. Failure to address resident concerns may be part of a deliberate policy to drive residents out of the borough.Tower blocks there are sitting on some very highly valued land.

[perthperson]

2 minutes ago, champers said:

Any inquiry should include gerrymandering in it's scope. Failure to address resident concerns may be part of a deliberate policy to drive residents out of the borough.Tower blocks there are sitting on some very highly valued land.

 

Gerrymandering ?  When were the boundaries of  Kensington and  Chelsea altered to secure a particular political outcome? 

 

You must be thinking of the fraudulent activity of Labour in Birmingham.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1487144/Judge-lambasts-postal-ballot-rules-as-Labour-6-convicted-of-poll-fraud.html

 

 

[champers]

It is not about boundary changes; it is about removing a section of one level of society to have them replaced by another. I note your Birmingham example and agree it is wrong however and wherever it occurs. Please note that Labour won the parliamentary seat of K&C at the recent election. Social engineering is another name for it.

[perthperson]

5 minutes ago, champers said:

Please note that Labour won the parliamentary seat of K&C at the recent election. Social engineering is another name for it.

 

Are you now saying this Labour person intends to 'socially engineer' the wealthy out of K&C --- or will their council tax be disproportionately  raised. 

 

The game of accusation and name calling can be played in both directions. 

 

I am happy for the Police to continue their investigations in K&C and hope that whoever is shown to be involved in this disaster is charged... regardless of political affiliation. 

[Grouse]

https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Celotex_RS5000_PIR_insulation

 

So it is combined Celotex RS5000 insulation (polycyanoacrylate) with Reynobond PE polyethylene) cladding.

 

When are we going to be told the truth?

 

 

Edited July 1, 2017 by Grouse

[dick dasterdly]

5 hours ago, perthperson said:

A more informative report about this sl*me ball in the link.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/30/kensington-and-chelsea-council-leader-nicholas-paget-brown-quits-in-wake-of-grenfell-disaster

From the above link (my emboldening of the relevant part):-

 

"Feilding-Mellen was the councillor ultimately responsible for the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower with the cladding that is widely believed to have fuelled the blaze that killed at least 80 people. It had emerged earlier on Friday that the council had approved the replacement of fire-resistant zinc cladding with cheaper aluminium panels."

[perthperson]

1 minute ago, dick dasterdly said:

From the above link (my emboldening of the relevant part):-

 

"Feilding-Mellen was the councillor ultimately responsible for the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower with the cladding that is widely believed to have fuelled the blaze that killed at least 80 people. It had emerged earlier on Friday that the council had approved the replacement of fire-resistant zinc cladding with cheaper aluminium panels."

 

Yes -- I also noted that. But let us wait for the Police investigation to be completed. The CPS, I imagine, will be provided with a long list of people from the council who should be considered for prosecution. 

[champers]

40 minutes ago, perthperson said:

 

Are you now saying this Labour person intends to 'socially engineer' the wealthy out of K&C --- or will their council tax be disproportionately  raised. 

 

The game of accusation and name calling can be played in both directions. 

 

I am happy for the Police to continue their investigations in K&C and hope that whoever is shown to be involved in this disaster is charged... regardless of political affiliation. 

I am saying the Tories are maybe trying to socially engineer / gerrymander. It should be investigated by the inquiry. It has happened before in London; Lady Porter in Westminster.

[Jonmarleesco]

'As council leader, I have to accept my share of responsibility for these perceived failings," ...' Little perceived about it. 

[7by7]

I agree with Andrew Gwynne, Shadow Communities Secretary, who said on the BBC this morning that it is right that Paget-Brown has resigned; not, he said, because of the fire and fire safety deficiencies in the block, but because of the council's poor response and support of residents afterwards.

 

I am by no means a Tory, but those who are using this tragedy and the loss of life as an excuse for Tory bashing should remember that so far 137 blocks in 41 local authorities have failed fire safety checks (source). Many of those authorities are Labour controlled and have been for many years.

 

Indeed, residents of the estate where three blocks have been evacuated by Labour controlled Camden council have been expressing similar fire safety concerns as those expressed by Grenfell Tower residents for at least the last five years: Camden tower blocks’ fire safety concerns unheard for years, say residents.

 

I know it may seem insensitive to say so, but this was a tragedy waiting to happen and that it did so in a Tory controlled borough is pure chance, it could just as easily happened anywhere.

 

What is vital is not using the deaths of so many to score party political points, but ensuring that it does not happen again

[dick dasterdly]

2 hours ago, Jonmarleesco said:

'As council leader, I have to accept my share of responsibility for these perceived failings," ...' Little perceived about it. 

 

18 minutes ago, 7by7 said:

I agree with Andrew Gwynne, Shadow Communities Secretary, who said on the BBC this morning that it is right that Paget-Brown has resigned; not, he said, because of the fire and fire safety deficiencies in the block, but because of the council's poor response and support of residents afterwards.

 

I am by no means a Tory, but those who are using this tragedy and the loss of life as an excuse for Tory bashing should remember that so far 137 blocks in 41 local authorities have failed fire safety checks (source). Many of those authorities are Labour controlled and have been for many years.

 

Indeed, residents of the estate where three blocks have been evacuated by Labour controlled Camden council have been expressing similar fire safety concerns as those expressed by Grenfell Tower residents for at least the last five years: Camden tower blocks’ fire safety concerns unheard for years, say residents.

 

I know it may seem insensitive to say so, but this was a tragedy waiting to happen and that it did so in a Tory controlled borough is pure chance, it could just as easily happened anywhere.

 

What is vital is not using the deaths of so many to score party political points, but ensuring that it does not happen again

Few have used this tragedy as an excuse for "tory bashing".

 

Andrew Gwynne is entirely wrong in thinking that Paget-Brown needed to resign entirely because of the poor response to the after-math.  He needed to resign for allowing the cheap alternative cladding.....

 

I do agree though that politicians of all colours are as guilty, and this council was 'unlucky' (if that is remotely acceptable when people die as a result of their decisions....) by being the first caught out pursuing money over safety.

[7by7]

6 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

Andrew Gwynne is entirely wrong in thinking that Paget-Brown needed to resign entirely because of the poor response to the after-math.  He needed to resign for allowing the cheap alternative cladding.....

 

 So are you saying that the leaders of all the other councils that used the same or similar cladding should also resign?

 

Even if, like Paget-Brown, they became leader after the work was carried out?

[perthperson]

3 hours ago, champers said:

I am saying the Tories are maybe trying to socially engineer / gerrymander. It should be investigated by the inquiry. It has happened before in London; Lady Porter in Westminster.

 

Accusations with zero evidence ?  

 

Typical Labourite ..............................

 

Turn your attention to the Labour councils now exposed as having fire risk tower blocks. 

[champers]

I'm not a Labourite and I have used the word maybe. The scope of the inquiry is being described as "narrow" so it looks like the residents are going to have to fight hard for justice. I think they will get a lot of backing from the public who don't want another Hillsbrough scenario.

Incidentally, I commend Theresa May for her efforts as Home Secretary in helping deliver justice in the Hillsbrough case.

[JAG]

I am saying the Tories are maybe trying to socially engineer / gerrymander. It should be investigated by the inquiry. It has happened before in London; Lady Porter in Westminster.

If there is any real evidence (other than politically motivated allegations) that the Tories are trying to "socially engineer or gerrymander" Kensington and Chelsea then that should be investigated.

But not by the inquiry into why and how this tower block caught fire so disastrously. It's a totally different matter.

 

And yes, the leader of the council should have resigned. He was quite obviously out of his depth and unable to cope.

 

[Richard W]

13 hours ago, Grouse said:

https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Celotex_RS5000_PIR_insulation

 

So it is combined Celotex RS5000 insulation (polycyanoacrylate) with Reynobond PE polyethylene) cladding.

It's polyisocyanurate, a different source of cyanide.

[Grouse]

4 hours ago, Richard W said:

It's polyisocyanurate, a different source of cyanide.

Thanks! Super Glue stuck in my brain!