ONCE again the country reels from a statutory inquiry’s report which sets out the wilful blindness of those in who we trust our safety and lives. First the infected blood scandal, now Grenfell, writes columnist Graham Bartlett. Last week, over seven years on from the Grenfell fire which claimed 72 lives, inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick revealed the “complacent, defensive and dismissive” government officials who prioritised cutting red tape; an “inappropriate relationship” between inspectors and those they were inspecting and Grenfell residents being dismissed as “militant troublemakers”.
The report pulled no punches in pointing to Arconic, the cladding manufacturer, who “deliberately concealed” the true extent of the danger of the material used to wrap Grenfell Tower. Regarding the insulation it said Celotex made “false and misleading claims” about its product being suitable and Kingspan had misled the market by not revealing the limitations of its product. Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s (RBKC) Tenant Management Organisation (TMO) showed persistent indifference to fire safety and the needs of the vulnerable.
This led to a breakdown in trust and relations between the TMO and residents and a “serious failure to observe responsibilities”. Of RKBC’s chief executive, the report says “he was reluctant to take advice from those with greater experience and was unduly concerned for RBKC’s reputation”. Many residents, including the .