Saudi, British FMs discuss regional developments in phone call    Saudi Arabia unveils new skill-based system for expatriate work permits Classification for existing workers began on June 18 while July 1 set for newcomers    New Saudi embassy building inaugurated in Moscow    Nearly 17 million foreign pilgrims perform Umrah in 2024, up 101% from 2022 Makkah ranks 5th globally in number of international visitors    Saudi Arabia reaffirms dedication to achieving equitable and sustainable digital development    Over 80,000 commercial registrations issued in 2Q 2025, bringing total to 1.7 million    Elon Musk announces launch of new political party amid fallout with Trump    UK Foreign Secretary makes historic visit to Syria    Khamenei makes first public appearance since Iran–Israel war    Desperate search continues as Texas flood kills 51, including 15 children 27 girls from summer camp still missing    Riot Games responds to match-fixing allegations in VALORANT    BLAST responds to BESTIA Visa controversy ahead of CS2 Austin major    Christophe Galtier named NEOM SC head coach ahead of historic Saudi Pro League debut    Level Up Docuseries launches June 6 on Prime Video    OPEC+ further accelerates oil output hike by 548,000 bpd in August    Saudi Arabia tops global ICT Development Index for 2025    Michael Madsen, actor of 'Kill Bill' and 'Reservoir Dogs' fame, dead at 67    BTS are back: K-pop band confirm new album and tour    Michelin Guide launches in Saudi Arabia with phased rollout in 2025    'How fragile we are': Roskilde Festival tragedy remembered 25 years on    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



How could it happen in London?
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 17 - 06 - 2017

THE London Grenfell Tower fire would not have been a big surprise had it happened in a Third World country. That it occurred in a first world capital is shocking. As such, British Prime Minister Theresa May has ordered a full public inquiry into the fire that has killed at least 17 people, with that figure expected to rise.
No. 10 confirmed the public inquiry would be led by a judge who like in any case will expose the truth and apportion blame. The inquiry, at least in part, should indeed be conducted in public and televised for all to see. It should not drag on for years or months or cost millions of pounds. May said people deserve answers. They do and they have many questions: How did the fire start, why did it spread so quickly, why weren't there fire alarms and sprinklers, did renovation of the 24-story building affect its safety, was official advice to stay put correct, and how will other buildings be affected?
The biggest question on everybody's lips continues to be how could this happen in a city like London? As it turns out, it might not be that difficult. It has much to do with oversight around public housing. May's government did not own or run Grenfell Tower. Instead, it is owned and managed by a tenant service organization (TSO), a nonprofit company run by professional managers and overseen by residents and local politicians.
The TSO in turn employs private companies to service and maintain the building, putting contracts out to tender in a process that encourages those companies to complete that work as cheaply as possible.
In other words, responsibility for keeping buildings such as Grenfell safe has moved further and further away from the state and thus from the politicians who answer to the people for the actions of that state. Putting management at arms' length and the responsibility in the hands of the lowest bidder became popular but sometimes risky. Private companies may not have spent the money they should on Grenfell.
Labor, which saw surprise gains under Jeremy Corbyn in last week's general election, would take private utility companies back into public ownership, and the state would provide services directly again. Under May, the Conservatives are also promising a more active role for the state after practicing a recent hands-off approach.
In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, the public horror and the anger at the system of management and will have both parties touting the idea that big government is better.
Furthermore, one third of MPs in Westminster are in fact landlords. The majority of those, from the Tory Party, a year ago defeated a bill that would have had regulations keeping buildings and properties fit for human habitation. MPs, whether businessmen or trade unionists, used to come to serve, but the last few decades it's more about getting rich and looking after oneself. In the old days, tenants elected council members who supervise buildings like Grenfell Tower, so they paid attention. Now that accountability is gone.
Residents had complained about the Grenfell's safety for several years. A group's blog post argued that only "a catastrophic event will expose the ineptitude and incompetence of our landlord..." It was a chilling prediction that came true.
May's government is facing growing questions about why ministers did not act on recommendations following an earlier fire in London which led to calls for sprinkler systems to be installed in residential blocks and for a full review of Britain's fire regulations.
Charges should be brought against those held responsible for the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Fire can happen in the most advanced places but it feels wrong that one of this magnitude with such dire consequences is allowed to happen in a country like Britain.


Clic here to read the story from its source.