I don’t always agree with MP David Lammy but I really got choked up with this speech from the heart, that he gave to Channel-4 News this evening, on the Grenfell fire and cuts to the welfare state…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dISZpogzV_I
Channel-4 have done a sterling job covering this tragedy. Another video interviewing rapper Akala who as always, says it like it is…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9NWK7VOLig
Real anger today directed at the local Tory council and Tory Prime Minister May, as she has seemingly tried to avoided speaking directly to the distraught residents (Something the leader of the opposition, the Mayor and The Queen have done). Protests outside Downing Street too. I hope the anger doesn’t escalate out of control. I was there on the street when the 2011 London riots started kicking off and it was scary to see.
Top post mate - unlike the BBC and Sky and much of the other media, Channel 4 still give a shit about the people involved in the news they broadcast. You can see it in their selection of presenters working for the channel, their questions, their compassion, their questioning of authority/those responsible.
They don’t patronise, or silence or shush people, look down on them, set an agenda or steer them to their political bias - unlike the others.
I lived in a tower block like Grenfell back in '94 to 2001 - fortunately all the work carried out on it back then was by council employees (skilled and experienced tradesman - apprentices under their guidance, bar the odd bad apple) - the work was quality and you knew there’d be little-to-no shortcuts, or corners cut on costs or safety. Council Clerk Of Works would have to sign off on any work - and there was no way they would sign off on anything substandard - they’d get the tradesmen back in to complete or re-do the job whilst standing over them if they did - I even saw on the odd occasion Clerks forcing tradesmen to apologise to tenants for some sloppy sub-standard work before signing off on their work.
Now it’s all sub-contractors and private companies with a mindset of profit - lowest quote wins - despite the quality and safety which gets overlooked. There are now so few Clerk of Works I’m not even sure they have to sign off on sub-contractors work. Instead of hiring more Clerks to ensure quality and safety during that time - the councils, through cuts and pressure from these private companies, got rid of many of them.
Self-assessment by the contractors - or their sub-contractors was and is the order of the day - as well as ignoring tenant’s complaints or putting out PR spin or pre-prepared messages saying they ahdere to the highest quality and safety requirements and are doing quality work - which we all know is bullshit.
The block I lived in wasn’t in a nice estate, the building was a 60’s concrete tower block, there was high unemployment, drugs, gangs, high crime, police collusion with dealers and escorts. But I felt safe - I’d hate to live in a block like that now - given what has happened over the years with the cuts to the councils (and emergency services) through ‘austerity’, and the proliferation of these often shoddy sub-contractors. I certainly wouldn’t feel safe living there now.
Really hope these terrible events force a re-think not only on the safety of social housing - but also the upkeep and the way contractors are given work on them. Profit before people hasn’t, doesn’t and will never work - and only ends one way - at the expense of the people using them.
(my rant over 😉)