Tuesday 20 June 2017

No Apologies

Grenfill Tower


Conservative corporate criminals 
Patently corrupt all human law
avoided fire recommendations
Cared nothing for Safety
other than a rich salary
or a knighthood, perhaps ?


It was avoidable you know 
those tides of hot dense smoke
flamed a flow of terrible anguish
ceasing as cindered corpses
or as unrecognisable dust.
All of those deaths unnecessary. 


Survivors at your feet mrs may
only wanted words of remorse
care, respect and tenderness.
Your burden. Tory truth prevented
Killed immediate contact silenced
your poisonous tongue. dead.


We know now what was hidden…
Decision to avoid action. 
Take a risk, Save a few pound.
2009 to 2017 was it worthwhile mrs may ?
Not your life gone up in smoke
and none of them your relations.


Callous Conservatives caused
Grenfill Tower deaths.

©MRL 2017



Extract from Irish Examiner 19th June 2017

Ministers in the UK were repeatedly warned that fire regulations were not keeping people safe, the BBC says leaked letters reveal.

The broadcaster said letters show ministers were warned that people living in high rise blocks like Grenfell Tower were "at risk".

The dozen letters, sent by the All-Party Parliamentary Fire Safety and Rescue Group in the aftermath of a 2009 fatal fire in Lakanal House, south London, warned the British Government "could not afford to wait for another tragedy", according to Panorama.

The parliamentary group wrote in March 2014: "Surely ... when you already have credible evidence to justify updating ... the guidance ... which will lead to saving of lives, you don't need to wait another three years in addition to the two already spent since the research findings were updated, in order to take action?

"As there are estimated to be another 4,000 older tower blocks in the UK, without automatic sprinkler protection, can we really afford to wait for another tragedy to occur before we amend this weakness?"
After further correspondence, then government minister Liberal Democrat Stephen Williams, replied: "I have neither seen nor heard anything that would suggest that consideration of these specific potential changes is urgent and I am not willing to disrupt the work of this department by asking that these matters are brought forward."

The group replied: "We're at a loss to understand, how you had concluded that credible and independent evidence which had life safety implications, was NOT considered to be urgent.

"As a consequence the group wishes to point out to you that should a major fire tragedy, with loss of life, occur between now and 2017, in for example, a residential care facility or a purpose built block of flats, where the matters which had been raised here, were found to be contributory to the outcome, then the group would be bound to bring this to others' attention."

Former cabinet minister Eric Pickles received a letter about fire regulations from the parliamentary group in February 2014, according to the BBC.

In December 2015, the all-party group wrote to the former Conservative minister James Wharton, and warned about the risk of fires spreading on the outside of buildings with cladding.

"Today's buildings have a much higher content of readily-available combustible material. Examples are timber and polystyrene mixes in structure, cladding and insulation.

"This fire hazard results in many fires because adequate recommendations to developers simply do not exist. There is little or no requirement to mitigate external fire spread."

"This fire hazard results in many fires because adequate recommendations to developers simply do not exist. There is little or no requirement to mitigate external fire spread."

Former Conservative minister Gavin Barwell, who was recently appointed British Prime Minister Theresa May's chief of staff, received further calls for action in September last year.

In November 2016 Mr Barwell replied to say his department had been looking at the regulations, and would make a statement "in due course".

In April 2017 Mr Barwell wrote to say he did "acknowledge that producing a statement on building regulations has taken longer than I had envisaged", 

23 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Indeed it was and could have been avoided too

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  2. Ms. Maclean said:
    �� love it.
    Beautifully said.p
    A XX

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  3. Birgit H said: I saw the horrible pictures of this on the News, how sad and totally unneccassary. Things like that make me very angry.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Birgit. It did much the same for me and I felt very disappointed with HM Government to the point of disgust.

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  4. Grenfill Tower ... Twin Towers ... Tower of Babel ... I don't think we will ever learn, friend H ... Love, cat.

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    1. Aye' aye' unfortunate method of penny pinching government caused this.
      Thanks for commenting Cat.

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  5. I find it scary to think we are all subject to this rule which seems to look after only those in privilege. Let's hope the media coverage (which has gone worldwide) and subsequent scrutiny leads to all similar properties being upgraded before it happens again.

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    1. I totally agree with you Bella and I am totally disgusted that any country in the world which is rich enough to finance super weapons, such as Trident etc. Then mistreats it's the less well off with so much disregard. A great pity that they cannot be brought to task by the European Courts of Justice or the UN ?

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  6. Greed and corruption. Sadly it is widespread.

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    Replies
    1. This was Wilful Manslaughter Sue the UK Gov ought to go trial for their misdeeds.
      Thank you for commenting.

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  7. £2 per sheet of cladding supposedly would have made the difference

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    Replies
    1. Correct Simon and they saved £4,500+ in total these criminal conservatives... and caused how much in trauma ?
      Thank you for commenting.

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  8. When I saw those pictures and heard the voices of those abandoned it struck me: They didn't stand a chance! Their voices echoed in the night and then faded away, it's just as horrible in a bombed out house in Raqqa., as in a safe, western, civilized neighbourhood.
    The poem was strong and clear. But I do think Melvyn ,that a trial will perhaps give answers about responsibility, guilt and the how and why. But as long as there is something to gain, it will happend again. We have to decide once and for all how we can make it worth nothing to gamble with other peoples lifes. It has to be transparent, no chance to hide, lie or cheat. The system must work the same for everyone. " The gates of hell opened above our heads" a women said. But it was the gates of heaven that brought them home... This is not about conservatives or Theresa May, it's about people and the concern and precaution that sometimes just never take place. Not only conservatives creates opportunities for that, it's very human, I'm afraid. But we can do better.
    It's not too late to change . My heart turned cold when those voices faded, in that flaming prison. Political and stern action must be taken at once, no discussions needed, statements, what statements?
    The facts are as clear as the nose in the ministers face - hesitation can cost more lifes in the next building.
    Save all the energy for the caring , comforting and healing, make your voices strong for justice and responsible decisions. Thank you, dear Heron for this important post!!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Solveig for your serious considerations of the Grenfill tragedy.

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  9. It was the council, not central government, who issued the specifications for the tender. The contractor who's tender was accepted, was following strict guidelines. The people you should be blaming are not Mrs May or even Corbyn, but the council planning department who drew-up the specifications.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for your comment Cro.
      Unfortunately you have jumped the gun on the official enquiry however, relevant your opinion may be or not.
      My blog post was concerned with Mrs May and her response to the survivors and so your remarks are completely out of context.

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    2. One must remember that Mrs May is the Prime Minister of the UK, she has 1001 things to do. She did visit the site and spoke with the Police etc. Corbyn has nothing to do and can swan around chatting to old ladies and children at leisure. It's very easy for the left to blame Mrs May for everything.

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  10. A very powerful poem Mel and so true. My heart went out to all those poor people and the total waste of their lives. Corbyn is right to politicise this, as it has shown how government cuts affect lives. It has also shown May as a truly unempathetic person and so out of touch with current mood of the country.

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