Latest news with #MartinMoore-Bick
Cosmopolitan
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Cosmopolitan
Has anyone been arrested following the Grenfell Tower fire?
On 14 June 2017, a deadly blaze erupted through Grenfell Tower, a 24-storey residential block in North London, which claimed the lives of 72 people and left dozens injured. Amongst those who died, 18 were children. Shortly after the fire, then-Prime Minister Theresa May ordered an inquiry to uncover what had happened leading up to the tragedy – and seven years later, Sir Martin Moore-Bick's 1700-page report catalogued a 'decade of failure', citing issues within government, building companies and manufacturers which led to Grenfell becoming the UK's deadliest residential fire since the Blitz in World War II. At the time of writing, there have been no arrests or criminal charges levelled against any individual in relation to the Grenfell Tower fire, with the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service stating it is unlikely any charges will be announced before the end of 2026 (at the earliest) due to the sheer 'scale and complexity' of the case. It leaves those who lost loved ones in the fire with an agonising wait for justice, particularly as it looks set to take more than a decade since the incident before anyone will head to court, if indeed any criminal charges are brought. Olaide Iqbal, the documentary maker behind Grenfell: Uncovered, knows how acutely the frustration of the community is felt. She worked closely alongside many families who lived in Grenfell during the time of the fire in order to make the new Netflix film exploring the case. 'There's still very much a community who are waiting for answers, that are waiting for justice, and their story doesn't feel resolved,' she tells Cosmopolitan UK. 'They've not had any closure, and for a number of people in the community directly affected by Grenfell, there's a resounding sense of people wanting justice, wanting answers and wanting their story to be kept alive, particularly when many feel like it's being erased.' In 2020, Leslie Thomas, a lawyer representing the bereaved families of Grenfell, urged the inquiry to not dismiss the impact of race and class, and how it may have contributed to the deaths of Grenfell's 72 victims. 'The Grenfell fire did not happen in a vacuum,' Thomas said in a statement at the inquiry, as reported by the BBC. 'A majority of the Grenfell residents who died were people of colour. Grenfell is inextricably linked with race. It is the elephant in the room. This disaster happened in a pocket of one of the smallest yet richest boroughs in London. "Yet the community affected was predominantly working-class. That is the stark reality that cannot be ignored.' While Iqbal acknowledges that there is an ongoing criminal investigation which is taking place, she knows there's a similar sentiment amongst the people she spoke to as part of Grenfell: Uncovered. They feel their social standing may have impacted the path to justice. 'It's definitely a community that has felt that their class, their race, their culture has played a part in why they were treated the way they were in the lead up to Grenfell, and some believe that's why they've been treated in a particular way since the fire as well,' she says. 'But making the documentary… we saw how complicated Grenfell is. It's not like there's a single person you can go and slap handcuffs on. I think because there's just that many people involved, and when a case is so big and goes back for so many decades, it's tricky to know where to start. 'As the inquiry concluded, so many different factors, in one way or another, contributed to the fire. But I understand the frustration to the community. When you go out and see that people have gone on to do bigger and maybe better things despite their actions or inactions that led to the fire, it's definitely frustrating. 'It's why those with big platforms, and hopefully this documentary, can keep Grenfell in people's mouths and minds, as it's something everyone should care about.' Grenfell: Uncovered is available on Netflix now Kimberley Bond is a Multiplatform Writer for Harper's Bazaar, focusing on the arts, culture, careers and lifestyle. She previously worked as a Features Writer for Cosmopolitan UK, and has bylines at The Telegraph, The Independent and British Vogue among countless others.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Government tackled over why Grenfell cladding ‘crooks' not behind bars
Ministers have been pressed over why 'crooks' running a firm that made the cladding on Grenfell Tower that was devastated in a fire eight years ago are 'not behind bars'. The call by Labour former minister Lord Rooker came after fresh evidence emerged that bosses at US-based manufacturing giant Arconic knew of the dangers posed by the highly flammable material prior to the 2017 disaster at the west London high-rise block, which claimed 72 lives. It followed the release of documents secured through legal action by the makers of a forthcoming Netflix documentary, Grenfell: Uncovered, which were shared with The Sunday Times. The final report of the Grenfell inquiry concluded each of the deaths was avoidable and had been preceded by 'decades of failure' by government and the building industry to act on the dangers of flammable materials on high-rise buildings. It also found victims, the bereaved and survivors were 'badly failed' through incompetence, dishonesty and greed. The tower block was covered in combustible products because of the 'systematic dishonesty' of firms who made and sold the cladding and insulation, inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said last year. He also condemned the 'deliberate and sustained' manipulation of fire safety testing, misrepresentation of test data and misleading of the market. Arconic and insulation firms Kingspan and Celotex came in for particularly heavy criticism. Arconic was found to have 'deliberately concealed from the market the true extent of the danger' of using its cladding product, particularly on high-rise buildings. Kingspan had, from 2005 and even after the inquiry began, 'knowingly created a false market in insulation' for use on buildings over 18 metres, the report said. Celotex then, in an attempt to break into this market created by Kingspan, 'embarked on a dishonest scheme to mislead its customers and the wider market', Sir Martin concluded. The Cabinet Office confirmed in February that seven companies were facing possible bans – Arconic, Kingspan, former Celotex owners Saint-Gobain, fire inspectors Exova, design and build contractor Rydon, architect Studio E and subcontractor Harley Facades. Investigations were launched by the Government in March, assessing whether any engaged in professional misconduct for the purposes of the Procurement Act 2023, potentially leading them to be debarred from public contracts. Questioning the Government over progress on work to remove unsafe cladding from high-rise buildings, Lord Rooker said: 'Can we be assured that the companies identified in the Grenfell report as using dishonest strategies and making false claims, such as Kingspan, Celotex and Arconic, are not involved in any replacement work? 'The companies are reported to have manipulated test data and manipulated the market.' Speaking in the Lords chamber, where his comments are protected by parliamentary privilege, the peer added: 'The minister and other members will have read the exposure of the crooks running Arconic in a devastating article in the Sunday Times two days ago. Why are these people not behind bars?' Responding, communities minister Lord Khan of Burnley said: 'The Cabinet Office announced investigations into seven organisations, a few of which he mentioned. 'These organisations were named in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report, enabled by the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on February 24 2025. 'The Cabinet Office is considering options under this Act. This is rightly independent. 'While this process must run its course, further actions outside the debarments regime against those involved in this tragedy have not been ruled out.' Arconic have been contacted for comment. Responding to the inquiry report last year, the firm said it was its subsidiary, Arconic Architectural Products SAS (AAP), which had supplied the material used for cladding in the tower's refurbishment, and that it rejects 'any claim that AAP sold an unsafe product' and that it 'did not conceal information from or mislead any certification body, customer, or the public'. Kingspan said it had 'long acknowledged the wholly unacceptable historical failings that occurred in part of our UK insulation business' but said these were 'in no way reflective of how we conduct ourselves as a group, then or now'. Celotex said it had 'reviewed and improved process controls, quality management and the approach to marketing within the Celotex business to meet industry best practice'.
The Guardian
27-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Grenfell fire fridge maker accused of safety test failings in council lawsuit
The company that made the fridge-freezer blamed for starting the Grenfell Tower fire has been accused in a lawsuit lodged by the local council of failing to run adequate safety tests on that model of appliance. The Royal Borough Kensington and Chelsea has brought a lawsuit against Hotpoint-maker Beko Europe, previously Whirlpool, as part of wider legal action against companies it believes are culpable for the fire eight years ago that killed more than 70 people. RBKC, which has brought the suit alongside the borough's Tenant Management Organisation, was heavily criticised for its handling of the fire and subsequent response in a public inquiry into the tragedy. The local authority is suing a range of companies at the high court for more than £358m, including those involved with the refurbishment and cladding as well as the maker of the Hotpoint fridge-freezer where the public inquiry concluded the blaze started. In a legal filing, the borough said that the appliance contained materials that could 'catch fire and burn easily', according to the Financial Times, which first reported the council's allegations against the appliance maker. Lawyers representing the claimants argue that the company did not adequately test the materials used in the model against applicable fire standards. The lawyers claim that if the materials – especially plastic backing, foam and polystyrene – had been tested they would have failed under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994. It 'should have been obvious to any reasonably competent designer, manufacturer and/or supplier of the fridge-freezer that the plastic backing was not resistant to ignition and/or the spread of fire', the legal claim states. Defence documents have not yet been filed with the court, but Whirlpool said that it was 'vigorously defending' the legal action. 'Whirpool Corporation disputes and is vigorously defending the proceedings brought by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea,' the company said. 'It would not be appropriate to comment further on ongoing litigation.' Turkey-based Arçelik and New York-listed Whirlpool struck a deal last year to combine their European domestic appliance businesses under Beko Europe. At the public inquiry, Whirlpool claimed that the fire could have been started by a lit cigarette rather than an electrical fault. However, inquiry chair Sir Martin Moore-Bick dismissed this assertion as 'fanciful', saying that the evidence left him in 'no doubt that the fire originated in the large fridge-freezer'. While RBKC is pursuing a number of actions at the high court it also faced strong criticism at the inquiry. Quentin Marshall, chair of the borough's housing scrutiny committee with oversight of Grenfell Tower, told the inquiry that the council 'lacked a little humanity' in its dealings with residents before the 2017 fire. His admission came after it emerged that he had personally dismissed residents' complaints about refurbishment works as 'grossly exaggerated'. The council has said it has made significant changes to its operations since 2017. A spokesperson for the council said: 'We have issued legal proceedings against a number of companies, in line with the council's ongoing commitment to ensure those parties pay a share of the costs incurred against the public purse.'
The Independent
26-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Grenfell firms facing possible bans over ‘mercenary behaviour' named
Seven firms criticised in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry final report could face being banned from public contracts, as the Government pledged to bring change in the wake of the fatal fire. Cladding and insulation organisations are among those which will be investigated under new powers for 'failings' in relation to the west London tower's refurbishment, Parliament was told. The announcement came as the Government formally responded to a series of recommendations which were set out last September in the inquiry's final report. Inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick had concluded that the devastating fire, which claimed 72 lives, was the result of 'decades of failure' by government and the construction industry to act on the dangers of flammable materials on high-rise buildings. He said there had been 'systematic dishonesty' by firms who made and sold the cladding and insulation, and called out 'deliberate and sustained' manipulation of fire-safety testing, misrepresentation of test data and misleading of the market. Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, criticised some firms' 'disgraceful mercenary behaviour (which) put profit before people and exploited the regulatory regime to evade accountability with fatal consequences'. She added: 'And to my disgust and their shame, some have shown little remorse and have refused to even help fix the building safety crisis that they did so much to create.' Ms Rayner, who is also Housing Secretary, said she expected 'swift, decisive action and will ensure progress is reported'. No timeline was given for when investigations under the Procurement Act might begin or be completed. In Sir Martin's report, cladding firm Arconic and insulation firms Kingspan and Celotex faced particularly heavy criticism. Arconic was found to have 'deliberately concealed from the market the true extent of the danger' of using its cladding product, particularly on high-rise buildings. Kingspan had, from 2005 and even after the inquiry began, 'knowingly created a false market in insulation' for use on buildings over 18 metres, the report said. Celotex then, in an attempt to break into this market created by Kingspan, 'embarked on a dishonest scheme to mislead its customers and the wider market', Sir Martin concluded. The Government said Kingspan and Arconic will be investigated as well as former Celotex owners Saint-Gobain. Also facing investigation are fire inspectors Exova, design and build contractor Rydon, architect Studio E and subcontractor Harley Facades. In a written statement published on Wednesday, Cabinet Office parliamentary secretary Georgia Gould said: 'The new Act allows us to investigate suppliers and, if certain grounds are met, to add their names to a published and centrally managed debarment list, which must be taken into account by contracting authorities in awarding new contracts and undertaking new procurements. 'We want to act swiftly and decisively and are committed, where appropriate, to pursuing meaningful action in respect of failings related to the Grenfell tragedy.' The Government said all 58 of the inquiry's recommendations were being accepted. Nine of the 37 recommendations directed at Government are being accepted 'in principle', with some requiring 'further consideration' through consultations, it said. A group representing some of the bereaved welcomed the commitments but said it will be paying 'close attention' to how they progress. One of those being accepted in principle is a key recommendation for a single regulator for the construction industry, which the report said had become 'too complex and fragmented'. The Government said that while it is committed to establishing a single regulator, it does not believe it would be 'appropriate' for that organisation to undertake testing and certification of construction products, or issue certificates of compliance. This would 'create a new conflict of interest within the regulator', the Government said, and it will instead work to strengthen oversight of existing bodies through reforms to the construction products regime. It has launched a consultation, running until May, on regulatory reform in the sector to 'improve public safety, rebuild public trust and ensure the Grenfell Tower tragedy cannot be repeated'. The timeline for wider change is set out in phases, with a suggestion some reforms are unlikely to be delivered before 2028 – 11 years on from the fire. In its update, the Government said it is 'committed to delivering meaningful change as quickly as possible' but that 'given the scale of further change needed, including legislative, we intend to deliver these further reforms using a three-phased approach over the course of this Parliament'. Other recommendations for the appointment of a chief construction adviser as well as those to professionalise fire engineers and assessors through mandatory accreditation, have also been accepted. Ms Rayner said the Government was committed to 'tough action' to 'drive change and reform the system to ensure no community will ever have to face a tragedy like Grenfell ever again'. She added: 'That means greater accountability, stronger regulation, and putting residents at the heart of decision-making.' Grenfell Next of Kin, a group representing some of the bereaved, said it will be 'paying close attention to these words and intentions' from Government, as it repeated criticism of the 'grave mistakes, failures, corruption' it said had led to the deaths. The group said: 'We can never forget our beloved kin and we can never forgive the negligence and corruption that led to their deaths. 'The injustice is so great and the measures being put in place now with new laws and reforms are welcomed, but should have been basic requirements for a developed country such as ours. 'Nevertheless let's move forward in the right direction.' Ms Rayner repeated an apology issued last year by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer who had said sorry 'on behalf of the British state to each and every one' of the people affected by the disaster. Earlier this month the Government announced the tower, the remains of which have stood since the fire almost eight years ago, will be 'carefully' demolished in a process likely to take two years. Police and prosecutors have previously said investigators would need until the end of 2025 to complete their inquiry into the fire, with final decisions on potential criminal charges by the end of 2026. Ms Rayner said 'justice must be done' and that the Metropolitan Police has the Government's 'full support' in its investigation.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rayner pledges ‘change and reform' as she formally responds to Grenfell report
The Government has pledged 'tough action' on the construction industry and stronger rights for residents as it formally accepted recommendations made by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry final report. A group representing some of the bereaved welcomed the commitments but warned it will be paying 'close attention' to how they progress. The Government said it is accepting in full 49 of the 58 recommendations made by Sir Martin Moore-Bick when he published his long-awaited report in September. The report concluded the fatal 2017 fire in west London had been the 'culmination of decades of failure' across government and the building industry. The Government said the remaining nine recommendations are being accepted 'in principle', with some requiring 'further consideration' through consultations. This includes a key recommendation for a single regulator for the construction industry, which the report said had become 'too complex and fragmented'. On Wednesday, the Government said while it is committed to establishing a single regulator, it does not believe it would be 'appropriate' for that organisation to undertake testing and certification of construction products, or issue certificates of compliance. Arguing this would 'create a new conflict of interest within the regulator', the Government said it will instead work to strengthen oversight of existing bodies through reforms to the construction products regime. It has launched a consultation, running until May, on regulatory reform in the sector to 'improve public safety, rebuild public trust and ensure the Grenfell Tower tragedy cannot be repeated'. The timeline for wider change is set out in phases, with a suggestion some reforms are unlikely to be delivered before 2028 – 11 years on from the fire which claimed the lives of 72 people. In its update, the Government said it is 'committed to delivering meaningful change as quickly as possible' but that 'given the scale of further change needed, including legislative, we intend to deliver these further reforms using a three-phased approach over the course of this Parliament'. Seven organisations criticised in last year's report are also being investigated for possible bans on public contracts, using powers under the Procurement Act 2023. The Cabinet Office is launching investigations to establish whether professional misconduct has taken place and vowed decisions on debarment will be made 'at pace'. In a lengthy document detailing its wider response, the Government also said it is 'committed to exploring further reforms to deliver systemic change to how residents' voices are heard and reliably acted upon'. The inquiry report noted how the relationship between Grenfell Tower landlords and residents in the years before the fire was 'increasingly characterised by distrust, dislike, personal antagonism and anger'. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who is also Housing Secretary, said: 'We are acting on all of the inquiry's findings, and today set out our full response, detailing the tough action we are taking to drive change and reform the system to ensure no community will ever have to face a tragedy like Grenfell ever again. 'That means greater accountability, stronger regulation, and putting residents at the heart of decision-making. 'We must deliver the fundamental change required. We owe that to the Grenfell community, to the country, and to the memory of those who lost their lives.' Grenfell Next of Kin, a group representing some of the bereaved, said it will be 'paying close attention to these words and intentions' from Government, as it repeated criticism of the 'grave mistakes, failures, corruption' it said had led to the deaths. The group: 'We can never forget our beloved kin and we can never forgive the negligence and corruption that led to their deaths. 'The injustice is so great and the measures being put in place now with new laws and reforms are welcomed, but should have been basic requirements for a developed country such as ours. 'Nevertheless let's move forward in the right direction.' On the day the final report was published, Sir Keir Starmer apologised 'on behalf of the British state to each and every one' of the people affected by the disaster. Speaking in Parliament at the time as some bereaved watched from the Commons gallery, he said the 'country failed to discharge its most fundamental duty, to protect you and your loved ones, the people that we are here to serve'. Earlier this month, the Government announced the tower, the remains of which have stood in place in west London since the fire almost eight years ago, will be 'carefully' demolished in a process likely to take two years. Police and prosecutors have previously said investigators would need until the end of 2025 to complete their inquiry into the fire, with final decisions on potential criminal charges by the end of 2026.
