Grenfell inquiry ‘needs to look at racism impact’

KENSINGTON residents have launched a petition to see the impacts of institutional racism included in the terms of reference of the Grenfell Inquiry.

The Grenfell Inquiry began its first phase in 2018, receiving evidence from firefighters, residents and building experts and developers.

The inquiry began the second phase in January 2020 before being suspended in March due to coronavirus.

Nour-eddine Aboudihaj, a resident of North Kensington, said that the inclusion of the impact of racial discrimination and the demographic of the Grenfell residents is important for justice to be served to the victims

“We see that the legal system hasn’t been responsive especially when it comes to racial discrimination,” Mr Aboudihaj said.

He added: “What we want is first to create a public awareness of the issues.”

Mr Aboudihaj is also part of the Grenfell Tower Trust, which last year, alongside the University of Exeter, conducted 10 workshops with Grenfell survivors and local residents on their perspective of the inquiry so far.

It was in that meeting Nour told our sister website MyLondon that many expressed their belief that ethnic background was behind why Grenfell residents were “treated in an unfavourable way”.

In two weeks the petition has received more than 1,400 signatures of the 1,500 requested.

Mr Aboudihaj, who lost close friends in the fire, said the residents plan to deliver the petition to 10 Downing Street when the requested signatures are reached.

On the inclusion of the impacts of racism in the terms of reference, a spokesperson for Grenfell Inquiry said: “When the inquiry was being set up there were calls for its terms of reference to include national and local policy on the provision, allocation and funding of social housing, which would no doubt have included an investigation into the influence of race and social background.

“Although the chairman shared the concerns of those who felt these were important questions which required urgent examination, on careful reflection he came to the conclusion when recommending the inquiry’s terms of reference that the inquiry was not the best way to answer them.

“The Prime Minister agreed that to include such matters would extend the scope of the inquiry too far and require an examination of social, economic and political factors of a kind that was not suitable for a judge-led inquiry.”

The inquiry is set to resume this month with most participants watching online due to coronavirus.