Grenfell Officials Criticized After Fire Still Working in Housing: Survivors Speak Out

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Survivors say careers of many of those involved show there are ‘no consequences for decisions that cost lives’

Survivors of the Grenfell fire have expressed outrage over the fact that many officials criticized in the public inquiry following the tragedy are still working in related fields. This has been described as 'a deep and bitter injustice' by Grenfell United, just before the eighth anniversary of the fire.

The survivors feel that while they continue to grieve and fight for justice, those involved in the decisions that led to the fire are carrying on with their lives and careers intact. The lack of consequences for decisions that cost lives raises questions about the values of the country. The survivors vow to keep fighting until those responsible are held accountable.

Many individuals implicated in the Grenfell disaster, including civil servants, government ministers, councillors, and corporate executives, have gone on to have successful careers, with some still working in housing and local government.

Laura Johnson, who was the director of housing at Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) at the time of the fire, is now an interim director of property and development at Barnet Homes, managing and maintaining council homes. The inquiry found that she had delayed the installation of self-closing mechanisms on fire doors for financial reasons, leading to the spread of smoke and fire on the night of the fire.

Brian Martin, a civil servant who admitted to being a 'single point of failure' before the fire, has continued to work as a fire safety expert witness. He was in charge of building regulations prior to the fire and failed to tighten rules on ACM panels despite warnings.

Deborah French, who worked at Arconic, the company that made the cladding panels on Grenfell Tower, has also continued her career in the building materials sector. She admitted knowing the cladding could burn but did not disclose this information to customers.

Nicholas Paget-Brown, the leader of RBKC at the time of the fire, now runs a consultancy firm focusing on public policy issues. He resigned after accusations of poorly organized relief efforts and little support for affected residents.

The Metropolitan police investigation into the Grenfell fire is ongoing, with survivors and bereaved families criticizing the pace of the inquiry. The investigation is looking into serious criminal offenses including corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, fraud, and health and safety violations.

Barnet Homes has been approached for comment.



Source: The Guardian
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