The appalling disaster of Grenfell Tower – a deeply political tragedy – has further
crystallised a sense that the fabric of British society has been torn. It is hard not
to see Grenfell as a hideous monument to inequalities of wealth and power; to the
sense that the British state – whether national or local – simply did not care for
its citizens because they were poor, and had prioritised the drive for deregulation
above human safety.
That poor people and immigrants gain subsidised, in fact for some free, housing in the most expensive part of the country is a hideous monument to inequality?
And only two residents have so far been charged with fraudulently claiming compensation for non-existent dead relatives so the system is definitely working.
For those who don’t live there it seems very unequal that others get for free/cheap what they had to pay for – although I am not sure that is what they meant.
The Left is using ‘inequality’ as their latest prop to sell socialism. They forever tell us there is a crisis, to which only they have a solution.
The tragedy of Grenfell Tower is that the majority of K&C Council tenants looked down on those in the tower blocks and chose not to listen to them. The ones enjoying a subsidy despised those needing a subsidy and elected directors who failed to tackle safety complaints from Grenfell Tower residents before they chose an unsafe cladding system.
@john77: did they choose ‘an unsafe cladding system’? I don’t think that’s been proven yet.
Can’t help feeling that as time has gone on initial sympathy has somewhat dwindled, partly due to the attitude of some of the former residents but especially due to the shroud-wavers acting supposedly on the behalf of residents but in reality to further their own ends.
Julia,
“@john77: did they choose ‘an unsafe cladding system’? I don’t think that’s been proven yet.”
Does it matter whether its proven or not. The lie got its boots on and now its lodged in the public conscience and no amount of evidence will make a difference.
@ Julia
It burned, so it was unsafe. I do not know whether it could have been obvious in advance that it was unsafe. [The “negligence” charge that should addressed to Ms Dent Coad depends on whether it *should* have been obvious in advance that it was unsafe]
Advice from Fire Brigade was to stay put.
Wrong, as Dubai cladding fire demonstrated.
I can’t find it in me to blame the Fire Brigade. They have only three options:
(1) Give no general advice on what to do in the event of a fire (and therefore be blamed anyway).
(2) Provide a 100-page booklet for each household setting out every possible circumstance and the recommended procedure to be adopted in each case, which no-one will ever read.
(3) Produce a one-liner (‘Stay put’, ‘Get the hell out’, …) which will (optimistically) be good advice 80% of the time and wrong 20% of the time.
I’d opt for (3), but whether ‘Stay put’ is the optimal choice, I lack the expertise to determine.