The blaze took hold quickly please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Image copyright PA please log in to view this image
Does seem high 200 but they dont know exactly how many people were living in the apartments. There were many immigrants, both legal and illegal, and refugees in that block and it possible there were more than the allowable people per flat.
They were lucky the block didn't collapse otherwise there would have been a lot more dead and injured.
I met Portillo at Downing Street when Major was PM, and I've never been presented with such a soggy-fish handshake ever in my life - it was like shaking hands with a wet fish-finger. Major, on the other hand, had a handshake that radiated power and trust - unbelievable to me as at the time I perceived Major to be a minnow compared to the rest of the cabinet - since that meeting I've nevet viewed any of Portillos mutterimgs any notice, however, on this occasion he is justified in slating her - I'm no politico, but Mays time is surely over, and as soon as is politically acceptible, she will step aside for someone who actually has a pair of balls......c'mon Ruth!!! (Excuse me, I'm a bit pissed this evening!!)
I really don't like - or support - politicians running to the scene of disasters like this It always comes across as attempting to boost their own standings, when in reality all they and their entourages are doing is hampering efforts to help survivors and those other affected The big question for me is not what national government is doing, but why does there seem to have been such a shambolic reaction on the ground by the local authority? Surely it is their primary responsibility to manage the situation locally? There are going to be some very uncomfortable facts coming out of the fire investigation - I don't think any group involved will be totally exonerated
My understanding regarding how the fire could have spread so quickly is this. The centre material of the panels were flammable - the skins were metal. If the centre of a panel caught fire, then the material would burn (obv) and leave behind a space with missing material. That turns the panel into a sort of wind tunnel between the metal skin, accelerating the spread to the next panel and the amount of oxygen available to the flames, etc. The other factor seems to have been that there was a gas riser going up through the building on the only stairwell in the block. Apparently it should have been boxed in but was not. I'm sure I've seen some early comments from the fire brigade saying they couldn't get up the stairs for some period of time because the gas riser had ruptured and was feeding the fire until they could get it shut off.
Actually the more I think about this the more I believe that this was May, in her usual clumsy way admittedly, trying to do her job and Corbyn carrying out a publicity stunt. If May had spent time with the victims, all those from Momentum etc would have been piling on the vitriolic hatred about her looking ill at ease and just doing it for publicity. I don't like May and want her to go when the time is right, but this is no time for ANY political points scoring in my opinion and Corbyn and his supporters are doing just that.
Everything is political, but there is no evidence as yet that this was the result of austerity rather than criminal negligence or corruption. Just read that there have never (in the UK) been multiple fatalities in high rise fires when the building has been fitted with an appropriate fire sprinkler system. These have been compulsory in new builds since 2007. Weather this would have made any difference where essentially the building burned from the outside in I don't know, but an obvious inclusion is that sprinkler systems should be fitted to all high rise buildings, and the freeholders should pay for it or face legal action. I saw a picture of a landing in the pre fire post renovation block. The block didn't look too bad from the outside but these corridors were extremely narrow and airless - and had exposed (i.e. Unboxed) gas pipes all over the place, close to the very low ceilings. Looked like the work hadn't been finished.
Isn't it all part of austerity culture though - the local authority (via KCTMO) doing it on the cheap?
Give it a ****ing rest mate. Why don't you go down there and wave your little red flag about? I'm sure it would help immensely!!
I don't much like to see a swarm of politicians visiting sites like this, all looks too much like electioneering. Is Corbyn's idea of forcing landlords to offer emergency accomodation, seizing control over empty properties etc. realistic ? It would be justice, but is it practicable ? Surely it would be easier, and quicker, to force hotels in the area to play their part.
That's what the nation voted for twice, and very nearly three times. And the Tories were always up front about their plan to cut the deficit by cutting public spending. Never more so than in their last manifesto. The anti austerity politicians did not persuade enough people to vote for them to change the approach. You may not like it, I may have very mixed feelings about it, but like Brexit, that's democracy.
We're all angry. Those trying to score political points from the situation are demeaning themselves and the poor victims.
I think there will be many worried residents all over the country after this. There are a couple of blocks half a mile from my house that were clad over in this stuff a couple of years ago and I'm sure we all live not far from some... God knows where the local councils will get the funds to rectify buildings affected... http://metro.co.uk/2017/06/16/30000...same-cladding-as-grenfell-tower-6713539/#mv-b
Why use the word 'force'? Why not just ask them first? This time of year the hotels in London are very busy, would you be compensating tourists who lose their reservation? It's the summer, there is a lot of empty student accommodation about, and 21 student flats have already been offered. In Portabello, just down the road. This seems a decent temporary measure.
They are going to have to get funding from central government. I heard a K&C councillor complaining that they are not allowed to raise council tax by more than 2%.
