Grenfell cladding experts ‘gagged’ from criticising PM

EXPERTS hired to test cladding after the Grenfell Tower disaster were bound by a gagging order which barred them from criticising Theresa May.

Workers at WSP, an engineering company tasked with testing cladding on government buildings after the fire, were forced to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAS).

The clauses, which were part of a £100,000 contract, said the company should not “in any way be connected to material adverse publicity” or “embarrass” the Cabinet Office, The Times reported. The newspaper previously reported the Government’s use of NDAS to stop 40 charities and over 300 companies from criticising government departments and ministers.

The Department for Work and Pensions had forced groups working on the rollout of the Universal Credit programme to sign contracts forcing them to “pay the utmost regard to the standing and reputation” of Esther Mcvey, Work and Pensions Secretary.

The Grenfell United campaign group said companies should not be “deterred” from speaking out.

Vicky Browning, of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, said: “Civil society leaders have been calling for a ban of antiadvocacy clauses in all government grants and contracts for a number of years, and I renew that request today.”

The department said: “We helped the Cabinet Office’s government property unit understand which types of cladding used across the Government’s estate are unlikely to comply with building regulations so that the tragedy at Grenfell doesn’t happen again.”

It comes as the Prime Minister promised a crackdown on “unethical” nondisclosure agreements in the light of Sir Philip Green’s injunction against The Daily Telegraph.

A government spokesman said the post-grenfell contracts were “standard”.