As a Grenfell campaigner, this report has me seething
The Independent|September 05, 2024
After more than seven years campaigning for Grenfell victims and survivors, my former Kensington constituents, and the countless others who are still living in unsafe homes up and down the country, I did not think it was possible to feel more anger than I already did.
EMMA DENT COAD
As a Grenfell campaigner, this report has me seething

But as I read Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s 1,700-page report yesterday morning, I was seething. Not only did it highlight the systemic failure and the complete disregard for human life, it revealed two shocking details I was not previously familiar with.

Firstly, what struck me was the level of incompetence of the tenant management organisation (TMO) and the council. We were already aware of the ruthless dishonesty of the cladding and insulation manufacturers and the three main contractors (Rydon, Studio E and Harley Facades), but reading how the council and the TMO continued to pass the buck and completely shirk responsibility was a particularly bitter pill to swallow.

At one point, the report singles out the KCTMO chief executive Robert Black, who appointed the organisation responsible for the building’s refurbishment. Beyond his “pattern of concealment ... in relation to fire safety matters”, Black has been condemned for his failure to mobilise support.

While the London Fire Brigade made errors on the night of 14 June 2017, it was woefully unprepared for the kind of fire it had been warning government about for years, which ministers had ignored.

It’s astounding to think that appointed officials were meant to be at the very top of their game. They were entrusted to serve the public – and they failed spectacularly.

The second element of the report that stood out to me, given my background in British architecture and social housing, was the role the original architects played.

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