Council leader to stay away from St Paul’s service

THE leader of Kensington and Chelsea council will not attend a national memorial for victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy – after families asked the local authority to stay away.

Elizabeth Campbell, who has been criticised for being ‘out of touch’ with the tower block’s residents, has indicated that she will not be at the service at St Paul’s Cathedral on Thursday. She also revealed she was on a Caribbean holiday when the disaster unfolded, watching the America’s Cup yacht races with her husband in Bermuda.

Mrs Campbell took over as leader of the council in July, weeks after the deadly blaze, but the admission she was away is likely to prompt further criticism that she does not understand the needs of survivors and the bereaved.

She told The Sunday Times she understood public anger directed at the Conservative-run council, which has been accused of ignoring repeated warnings about fire safety at the tower. Since taking over, she has committed the wealthy council’s £274million cash reserves to helping victims of the fire, including £235million to a housebuying programme.

Families asked the council not to send representatives to the Thursday’s service, which is due to be attended by members of the Royal Family, including Prince Charles, William and Harry. Explaining her decision not to go, Mrs Campbell said: ‘The service isn’t about me, it’s for the people who lost everything on that terrible night six months ago ... It is only right that we respect the wishes of those involved.’

The service has been timed to mark six months since the fire.

A minute’s silence is due to be held on the day at the council’s offices in Kensington Town Hall.