Michael Gove said that he tried to get Arconic, Celotex and Kingspan to contribute to the cost of cladding remediation and to compensate victims but he was thwarted first by foreign governments and then by the UK Treasury.
In the years since that 2017 fire, in which 72 people died because of a dangerous cladding system was allowed to be put onto a London tower block, the government has managed to bring in new building safety regulations and tenants’ rights.
But Gove himself admits this is not yet enough and so long as Arconic, Celotex and Kingspan continue to get away scot-free for what they did there has been no justice.
In an article in yesterday’s Sunday Times he writes: “In the seven years since the fire, there has been change for the better. We managed to strong-arm developers into paying for the remediation of unsafe buildings. We passed laws to ensure social housing tenants were listened to with respect and their complaints were quickly addressed. We improved building safety standards, created a new building safety regulator, mandated second staircases in all new buildings over 18m and had reached agreement on funding personal emergency evacuation plans for residents who needed assistance. We reformed the rules to ensure leaseholders didn’t have to pay for the faults in their buildings which they never caused.
“But the publication of Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s report underlines how much more there is to do. It reinforces in particular the need to pursue those who bear the gravest responsibility for this tragedy with every weapon at the state’s disposal. Especially the companies that manufactured the materials used on a cherished home that became a hecatomb. And that have still not shown proper awareness of their guilt, contrition for their crimes or restitution for their wrongs. A reckoning must come.
“Kingspan, Arconic, Celotex. Three companies whose actions meant that products encased a high-rise building which were not just unsafe but positively lethal. Three companies whose employees knew they were lying about the materials they were marketing. Three companies that cheated the tests designed to keep people safe.”
Gove writes: “There are many others who failed the victims of Grenfell… But they rank behind the failures of Kingspan, Arconic and Celotex, which willingly, knowingly, recklessly put greed ahead of decency.”
He says: “None of these companies has even begun to make amends, let alone acknowledge fault. Despite our best efforts so far.
“Because Kingspan is based in Ireland, and Arconic’s European operations and Celotex are in France, our jurisdiction was limited. But we were determined to go after them. Working with the brave activists of Grenfell United we got Mercedes-Benz, and then Ulster Rugby, to shun any association with Kingspan. We set up a recovery strategy unit, headed by a former special forces commander, to alert investors to these companies’ shameless irresponsibility and to put the heat on their collaborators. We were making some progress before the election was called.”
“But from bureaucracies, both ours and others, there was insufficient action. I pressed the Irish government to act against Kingspan without success. From France only haughty froideur. What made the task more difficult was the compromised nature of our own establishment. Saint-Gobain, the parent company that previously owned Celotex, continues to sponsor the Franco-British Colloque, an annual get-together of French and British politicians, journalists and academics. Efforts on my part to restrict the import of these companies’ products ran up against the commercial purism of Treasury Mandarin Brain.
“The task now falls to others to secure the justice I sought but failed to bring. I hope the Crown Prosecution Service and Metropolitan Police will do all they can to bring criminal prosecutions quickly. But pursuing a few of the most guilty individuals is not enough when these companies are still making vast profits without acknowledging their full responsibility.
“Taking the necessary action will require toughness. I worry that the new government may be dissuaded from doing everything necessary by those counselling caution. The officials with whom I worked were determined to pursue the wrongdoers and we were developing a Grenfell justice bill to give us all the tools required. But elsewhere in Whitehall I know there will be voices opposed to robust action. Those saying these companies can be partners in combating climate change. Those arguing that we shouldn’t pick fights with EU neighbours when we want a closer commercial relationship. Those claiming that pursuing individual companies abroad will send a negative signal on foreign investment when the priority is growth.
“I understand all those arguments. But you cannot purchase prosperity at the price of justice. You cannot build a safe home for the vulnerable on an unquiet grave. You cannot allow the unacceptable face of capitalism to be left smirking when the tears of victims are still wet. Those who are the guiltiest must pay, and pay the most.”
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