Grenfell judge faces ‘political witch hunt’
Justice4grenfell has withdrawn its support for the inquiry until Sir Martin Moore-bick is removed
The Grenfell Tower judge is being subjected to a politically motivated witch hunt, his allies said yesterday, as a Labour MP demanded he be replaced by someone “who understands human beings”. Sir Martin Moore-bick was named chairman of the inquiry into the tragedy six days ago. His friends point out that Emma Dent Coad, the Labour MP for Kensington who called on him to resign yesterday, has never met him. Chris Williamson, who was made shadow fire service minister on Monday, also demanded that Sir Martin quit.
CHIEF REPORTER THE Grenfell Tower judge is being subjected to a politically motivated witch hunt, his allies said yesterday, as a Labour MP demanded he be replaced by someone “who understands human beings”. Sir Martin Moore-bick was named chairman of the inquiry into the tragedy just six days ago.
His friends point out that Emma Dent Coad, the Labour MP for Kensington who called on him to resign yesterday, has never met him.
Chris Williamson, who was made shadow fire service minister on Monday, also demanded Sir Martin quit, insisting the inquiry be wider-reaching.
But Sajid Javid, the Communities Secretary, accused Labour of trying to make political gain from the tragedy.
“I’m afraid that Jeremy Corbyn has treated this like a bit of political football and that is a shame,” Mr Javid told Channel 4 News.
The clamour for Sir Martin to resign came as the Government admitted that just nine families had been rehoused since the fire. Many have been offered unsuitable new accommodation outside Kensington.
The campaign group Justice4grenfell wrote to Theresa May last night saying it was withdrawing its support for the public inquiry until Sir Martin was removed from his post.
The group was set up by local campaigners, including a veteran activist Ismahil Blagrove who called for a revolution in the wake of the fire, and Sue Caro, a former BBC diversity manager and a staunch Corbyn supporter, who posted on Twitter that Adolf Hitler was “inspired by US racist laws”, which explains America’s “guilty conscience and support for Israel”.
None of its key organisers were a resident in the high-rise building in which at least 80 people perished.
Dominic Grieve QC, the former attorney general, said he was dismayed by the attacks on Sir Martin.
“There is overwhelming evidence of his competence in the course of his career and if someone of his standing is rejected it raises the question, who in fact exists who could do the job?” he said.
A senior Tory source said: “This feels like a political witch hunt orchestrated by the Left.”
Another ally said: “I don’t know why Emma Dent Coad has criticised the judge. They have never met.”
Last night, David Lidington, the Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, said: “I have complete confidence that Sir Martin Moore-bick will lead the inquiry into this tragedy with impartiality and with a determination to get to the truth and see justice done.”
Miss Dent Coad told the BBC’S Today programme: “How anybody like that could have empathy for what those people have been through, I don’t understand.
“A technocrat is really not what we need right now. We need someone who can understand human beings.”
Sir Martin previously ruled a resident of Westminster could be rehoused in Milton Keynes, a decision overturned in the Supreme Court.