Who will face justice over the Grenfell fire?
wHY is the Fire Brigade taking all the flak for the Grenfell fire? the whole inquiry is back to front by focusing on the events of the night of the fire rather than an investigation into the flammable cladding believed to be the primary cause of the disaster.
Fitting such cladding to the building turned it into a lethal torch and was contrary to building regulations, so why has no one been charged over this? who signed off the fire safety certificate for the building?
when phase two of the inquiry finishes, how many of the people that should be answering questions will already have retired on gold-plated pensions?
JOHN SMITH, Warrington, Cheshire.
Brave firefighters
tHE real Grenfell scandal is not the reported failures of the Fire service. Firefighters faced an unprecedented disaster and, showing astonishing bravery, risked their lives doing what we could not even contemplate.
the fact is that the building was unsafe in the first place. whether the cladding was a cheap option endorsed by the contractors, suppliers or building owner, badly researched or just believed to be acceptable, we may never know, but it certainly contributed to the appalling loss of life.
Penny-pinching at the expense of vulnerable people is shocking. the buck should stop with those who endorsed the building of this firetrap.
APRIL JONES, Wem, Shropshire.
Take No for an answer
tHE last independence march, just a couple of weeks ago, was attended by around 200,000 people according to the organisers. then Nicola sturgeon announced she was in favour of a general election and that it should be about scottish independence.
she has now appeared at a Glasgow independence rally for the first time since 2014 and attracted a crowd of 20,000, at best. the voting population of scotland is around four million. the message is clear. we don’t want independence. Just when will this sink in?
GERALD EDWARDS, Glasgow.
NICOLa sturgeon brands Boris Johnson, and her new best pal Jeremy Corbyn, ‘completely and utterly useless’.
she also claims she wants to ‘stop Brexit in its tracks’. Maybe a fair ambition given that she ignores the democratic outcome of all referendums including the one in 2014, when scots stopped independence in its tracks.
PHIL JOHNSON, Bishopton, Renfrewshire.
Joy of books
I LOVE books (Letters), the feel and the smell, and have amassed a large collection over the years. then I started to buy ebooks as they were cheaper, more convenient and did not take up any space.
However, after one of the websites I use was updated, nearly 200 of the ebooks I had paid for were lost. Not everything digital is an improvement.
LESLEY BOON, Corsham, Wilts.
Such sore losers...
HOwEVER dismal the English rugby side’s display in their crushing world Cup defeat by south africa, their refusal to accept runners-up medals from world Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont – a far better national representative than any of the present lot – was even more disappointing.
what message were they sending when they threw their toys out of the pram? that they are too good to accept a silver medal? REV DR JOHN CAMERON,
St Andrews, Fife.
Three cheers for Lewis
LEwIs HaMILtON has become world Champion for the sixth time, an achievement unequalled in British motor racing history.
that a kid from an ordinary, multi-racial family has achieved this stunning feat is extraordinary.
He has not always had the best cars and, much to his credit, has never resorted to the unsporting manoeuvres used by some of his predecessors and contemporaries.
However, his country has ignored his feat. Others who have won a cycle race or Olympic medal have been knighted. why is Lewis Hamilton ignored? Is it because he chooses not to donate half his income to HMRC? Do we rate money more than honour and achievement? He should be knighted as a credit to his country and the sport in which he excels.
R. F. ADAMS, Chesterfield, Derbys.
Sick of the lot of them
Is It possible to take legal action for breach of contract against MPs elected on a manifesto to leave the EU, but who have since reneged (Letters)? On February 7, 2008, I had my 15 minutes of fame when I issued a county court summons on the then prime minister Gordon Brown. It was a bid to force him to honour the 2005 election manifesto pledge made by all three parties that the Lisbon treaty would not be ratified without a referendum.
I did not expect to win the case, but the big surprise was that Mr Brown sent a barrister to Brighton County Court to state that ‘the election manifesto pledge cannot give grounds for legitimate expectations that the promises will actually be kept’.
In May I stood as an independent under the banner ‘I’m sick of the lot of them’. I polled 249 votes. I am tempted to apply to register it as an official party. STUART BOWER,
Hove, E. Sussex.