A tale of two leaders
Inferno survivors met their Queen yesterday ...but not their PM
CONCERNED The Queen talks with members of the community at a sports centre providing shelter
THE Queen made a moving visit to Grenfell Tower survivors yesterday to lend her support to those devastated by the inferno and to hear their stories.
But as she and Prince William spoke face to face with residents amid simmering tensions and unbearable grief, Theresa May had to be bundled into a car by police on her second trip there – as locals directed their fury at the PM over her half-hearted visit a day earlier when she met none of them.
And not far away, the strain of the past few days spilled over into rage as householders stormed the local council offices to demand answers to why their fears of a disaster had been fatally ignored. The protestors last night marched on Downing Street as the demonstration grew.
Mrs May arrived at the site for her second visit but as she left the same church where Jeremy Corbyn had hugged a survivor the day before, an angry crowd surrounded her car and screamed “coward” and “May must go”. The PM looked visibly shaken as police struggled to control them. Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom was also abused as she visited the area. One local told her: “This fire could have been stopped a long, long time ago.”
The death toll last night reached 30, but officials fear it could reach at least 100.
One local MP warned there could be violence on the streets in the coming days unless residents get answers over how such a blaze could happen in this day and age of fire and building regulations. Survivors told how the Queen and William strolled among them at the Westway sports centre, not far from their incinerated 24-storey tower block in North Kensington, West London. As they left they were confronted by a distraught man who begged to speak them. Rami Mohamed waved a poster with pictures of two children of his friend who are still missing.
He shouted: “What about the children? Queen? Queen? What about the children?” In tense, emotional scenes, William stopped, pointed to him and vowed: “I’ll be back.”
It’s believed the family concerned are Nora and Hashim, son Yahya and daughter Firdaws.
Rihanna Levi spoke of how the Queen approached her for a chat. The 17-year-old said: “I told her it was just like a movie.
“And she said it must have been terrible to watch. The past few days have been devastating but it was a real honour to meet the Queen.”
The royals also spoke to some of the army of volunteers who have been providing shelter, food, water, clothing and support for those affected by the blaze.
One, Taksima Ferdous, said they were “overwhelmed” by the visit. The 31-year-old added: “The Queen said to me, ‘You have been incredible, please keep continuing.’ Prince William shook my hand and said, ‘Thank you.’ They both encouraged us, the volunteers, to continue with the work that we are doing.”
Just hours later, a protest outside Kensington and Chelsea council offices turned ugly when demonstrators stormed the building demanding to see bosses about the blaze.
There were chants of “murderers, murderers” and “justice for the residents”. Singer Lily Allen
joined the protests and demanded support be offered for traumatised children who watched their friends “burn alive” in the fire. She also said it was an “insult” Theresa May originally failed to turn up and meet people.
Local councillor Eartha Pond warned of “unrest in the street” unless the council and government give answers over the disaster, adding: “The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea should have a lot more co-ordinated response, someone needs to take control. No one in authority has taken charge.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who was heckled by residents on a visit the day before, last night wrote to Mrs May demanding answers.
Last night, the PM finally announced a £5million fund to pay for emergency supplies for those left homeless. But it will do little to appease the largely working-class householders who insist the inferno should never have happened and, if their fears had been listened to, many more would have survived.
They had warned for years the building would become a deathtrap if there was a fire. But they claim their concerns had been ignored by the council and the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation that runs the block.
There were no sprinklers in the building and it is feared cheaper rain cladding used on the outside in a major refurbishment last year may have helped the inferno rage much quicker, trapping many frantic residents in their flats.
Labour MP David Lammy has demanded anyone found responsible for the blaze face corporate manslaughter charges.
Protest organiser Mustafa Almanser, whose friend from the 23rd floor is missing, said he wanted a criminal investigation to be launched into the £8.6million refurbishment of the tower, and a probe into the safety of all similar towers in the borough.
A man believed to be boss of Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation, Robert Black, had to run the gauntlet of anger during yesterday’s protest. Scotland Yard has launched a criminal probe into the fire, which started at around 1am on Wednesday and burned for more than 24 hours.
Residents told harrowing stories of people jumping from the blazing block or throwing children out in the hope someone would catch them. Met Commander Stuart Cundy confirmed the death toll will rise. He said: “I hope it is not triple figures, but I can’t be drawn on numbers. The building itself is in a very hazardous state. It is going to take a period of time for our specialists to fully search to make sure we locate and recover everybody that has sadly perished in that fire.” The officer vowed police “will get to the answer of what has happened and why”. He added: “If criminal offences have been committed it is us who will investigate that.” Of the 24 people being treated in hospital, 12 were last night still critical. Investigators had examined the location where the fire started and said it is not suspicious. Victims who lost their homes are to be rehoused “at the earliest opportunity”, and within three weeks at the latest.