Post Grenfell Tower.

[bobby47]

If I were an Officer placed on high within any Council or other public service body in Britain, I'd be very concerned about the tipping point of public tolerance that's been reached following the devastating events at The Grenfell Tower.

Make no mistake, in the months and even years that follow, many public servants in positions of authority and power are going to be arrested, they will be prosecuted and in due course will be required to serve custodial prison sentences as punishment for the part they played in the procurement of unsuitable materials and the failure to protect the lives of their tenants.

Like ducks in a line, the Council, the Housing Association, probably the Fire Service and a host of other public bodies involved in the grandiose scheme of Partnerships that, driven by Common Purpose, have infected all our public services, if they've got any sense at all they'll be twitching and wondering whether or not some tragic event takes place that places them in the firing line.

Whilst we in Hereford have no sizeable high rise apartment blocks, we most certainly have other, in plain sight life threatening problems that have been created by poor public service delivery. Take for example the disgraceful condition of our roads. Is it possible that a motor cyclist can hit one of these holes, lose control of their bike, slide, perhaps into the path of an oncoming school bus and many lives are lost as a result of the collision? Is it so far fetched to imagine such an event? Given what's happened to the poor people at Grenfell Tower I'm not so sure it is that far fetched.

Make no mistake, this awful event at Grenfell Tower will herald a new era of public service accountability and if my hyperthetical Road Traffic Accident ever happens and it's the result of a pot hole then every single public body connected to the Herefordshire Safer Roads Partnership that includes the Council, the Police, Balfour Beattie and anyone else that hides behind the Partnership arrangement will be held to account for their failure to do their jobs and protect the people.

The era of ignoring the people is over, as is public service Reputation Management and their usual raft of excuses that allow the truth and facts to be secreted that were once a guaranteed certainty that nobody in an investigatory position would ever rock the boat and want to lift up the stone to see what lay beneath. As a result of Grenfell Tower and the publics reaction to what was a completely avoidable national tragedy, those days are now gone and anyone in public service who has involved themselves in poor service delivery that places the public at risk now has their neck in the noose of public accountability.

[SON OF GRIDKNOCKER]

Sadly, old friend, 'the era of ignoring the people' ain't over yet. Not by a long chalk.

 

Last October the then Housing Minister assured the House of Commons that the fire regulations parts of the current building regulations were under review. Since then (ie 9 months before Grenfell), total silence and obfuscating, mealy-mouthed replies when the department concerned is asked by the Press what happened to the promised review.

 

Oh, and I forgot to mention: the Minister who gave that undertaking was named Gavin Barwell - the self-same Gavin Barwell who lost his seat in the General Election and was promptly appointed by Theresa May to be her new Chief of Staff, in succession to Nasty Nick Timothy.

 

I wonder if Mr Barwell accompanied the Supreme Leader down to Notting Hill Gate last Thursday in her motorcade? The day she absent-mindedly forgot to speak to any of the tower block's residents and had to return the following morning to make amends! 

[twowheelsgood]

I'm listening to Radio 4 now and it is staggering that Grenfell residents and neighbours are saying that there is still no disaster management in place - no one knows what is happening and no one is co-ordinating anything, no one is telling residents what is happening, hence the angry scenes that nearly erupted into riots last night. Gavin Barwell is on, less than impressive, saying it will happen today - we'll see - but is dodging why it didn't happen immediately. I understood all Council's had disaster management scenario's in place, but not in one of the richest borough's in the Country it seems. Absolutely disgraceful, bad enough that this happened in the first place, but to compound it by a lacksadaisical response is unforgivable. Some on the spot sackings of over paid, smug and insular Council 'director's' wouldn't be out of order on my watch.

[Denise Lloyd]

TWG just listened to the same and in my post of Thursday or Wednesday I said there was huge trouble ahead. People are very good at talking but not so good at action fortunately our emergency service know when and how to step up to the action. There have been many words spoken and written and yes Bobby we can all think of possible scenarios occurring from decisions made even in this county that could result in tragedy. Let us hope that some good will come out of the tragic events of Wednesday.  I possibly have not used the correct words but most people will know exactly what I mean.  

 

Silly question perhaps but nobody has asked it that I have heard anyway - if there is such a huge housing crisis how can x many number of families be rehoused so easily?  Answers please 

[SON OF GRIDKNOCKER]

Let them eat cake was Marie Antoinette's response to the news that starving Parisians had no bread. Mrs May's response this morning to the Grenfell tragedy? "We will set up a Taskforce" ('Lessons must be learned' now being a tarnished mantra).

 

Wishful thinking: Channel 4 News's Michael Crick (for it is he): "Err... excuse me, Prime Minister, but what precisely are the terms of reference of this Taskforce which you've magiced out of thin air, on a Saturday morning, less than 24 hours after you'd announced a Public Inquiry. Will it help to immediately re-house, within the borough, all those who are homeless? Will there be counselling for the bereaved and for the children who got out? Will it be instructing an immediate halt on the 100+ identical tower block refurbishments which are currently underway across the country? And finally: In view of the fact that you are currently about as popular as Nicolae Ceausescu, when can we expect another General Election?

[Colin James]

A row has broken out between Labour’s new Kensington MP Emma Dent Coad and her Conservative predecessor over the Grenfell Tower fire. 

 

Ms Dent Coad, below, has accused Tory-led Kensington and Chelsea council of failures that led to the blaze, claiming “poor-quality materials and construction standards have played a part in this hideous and unforgivable event”.

 

But as a councillor she was on Kensington and Chelsea’s housing scrutiny committee, which oversees “community safety issues”, until May 2014.

 

A 2014/15 report, in which she is named, says the committee scrutinised work on Grenfell Tower.

 

 

Full Story

 

 

[Alex]

 

A row has broken out between Labour’s new Kensington MP Emma Dent Coad and her Conservative predecessor over the Grenfell Tower fire. 

 

Ms Dent Coad, below, has accused Tory-led Kensington and Chelsea council of failures that led to the blaze, claiming “poor-quality materials and construction standards have played a part in this hideous and unforgivable eventâ€.

 

But as a councillor she was on Kensington and Chelsea’s housing scrutiny committee, which oversees “community safety issuesâ€, until May 2014.

 

A 2014/15 report, in which she is named, says the committee scrutinised work on Grenfell Tower.

 

emma.jpg

 

Full Story

 

 

They are all as bad as one another all trying to gain one over the other. 

[ragwert]

This article here...      http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/revealed-external-panels-probable-cause-of-huge-tower-block-fire-spread/7019613.article#
is pretty shocking.
I wonder how long it will take before these panels that have a B2 fire rating which is the same as wood are removed from other tower blocks.

This has nothing to do with using poor quality materials as these panels pass current building regulations

[ragwert]

Panels are made up of a polyethylene core which has a B2 fire rating,the same as wood.
The original planning application in 2012 states the use of Zinc rainscreen cladding with a celotex FR 5000  core (High resistance

to fire) a new application was made in Sept 2014 the material had changed to Aluminium composite material and a polyethylene and passed.

The panels because they are encased in an aluminium skin pass current UK building regs

https://twitter.com/xtophercook/status/875109568669523968
 

[twowheelsgood]

Building Regs are widely mis-understood. Individual materials do not pass Building Regs (although there are requirements for CE marking etc, replacing the old British Standards). A combination of materials will make up an element ie a floor, wall or roof. Combinations are endless. It is for the applicant to demonstrate that their required combination satisfies the numerous requirements which may include including fire resistance (numerous variations e.g. spread of flame, combustibility), water resistance, thermal resistance, sound resistance, air resistance, structural stability and others. There are no prescribed construction methods - there are suggestions, but they are just that. This has been the case for many years - it is not a new development.

 

The amount of rubbish spouted over the last few days by the media and politicians, all of whom suddenly think they are experts on 'Part B', beggars belief. They grab a word like 'sprinklers' and repeat it ad-nauseum and it builds its own momentum. That said. sprinklers within individual flats would be extremely effective and would have stopped the fire at source - I've seen them demonstrated and it is no surprise that the Fire Brigade have been asking for domestic sprinklers for years - they really do work (and it's only a very fine spray, not the deluge you get in commercial buildings). You can fit out a new house for £2k.

 

Part of the refurbishment was supposed to include new smoke vents at the top of the stairwell - these open automatically when there is a fire to keep the stairwell clear of smoke. No one seems to have picked this up as they clearly didn't work. Neither did the dry risers, which meant the fire brigade couldn't get water to the higher levels. It is a litany of failures by another Council 'arms length' company, with a truly tragic outcome.

[Ubique]

Good knowledgable post - thank you .

[dippyhippy]

The tragedy at Grenfell Towers, made me weep.

 

This blog post, by Charlie Dickinson, spoke volumes to me.....

 

"First they came for the unions, and you said : they are ruining the country. Then they came for the gay community, and you said : best keep that sort of thing out of schools. Then they came for The City, and you said : The Big Bang will free us up to spend. Then they came for the council houses, and you said : property owning democracy. Then they came for telecoms, and you said : it's good to talk. Then they came for the mutual building societies, and you said : £1000. in shares? Bring it on. Then they came for the safety regulations, and you said : too much red tape for small businesses. Then they came for the railways, for ship building, the dock yards, the steel industry, and you said : sad, tired, out of date - time for a new direction. Then they came for the council houses again, and you said : my Mum bought hers....loadsa money. Then they came for benefits, and you said : bloody scroungers, sitting in all day watching Tricia on a big TV. Then they came for the immigrants, and you said : about bloody time. Then they came for Sure Start, and you said : well, our kids had things proper tough. Then they came for councils, and you said : we have to live within our means. Then they came for libraries, and you said : books are so last century. Then they came for The Arts Council, and you said : who watches this crap anyway? Give me Andrew Lloyd Webber any day. Then they came for the sports centres and swimming pools, and you said : we're fine at The David Lloyd, thank you very much. Then they came for students, and you said : about time they paid their way. Then they came for schools, and you said : well our Academy is fine, actually. Then they came for the Primary schools, and you said : the problems lie with the parents really. Then they came for council houses again, and you said : there's nothing wrong with getting the 'right people' in. Then they came for bedrooms, and you said : why do these people need so much space? Then they came for disability, and you said : everyone needs to try to work. Then they came for the NHS, and you said : of course it will still be free - we just need to move with the times. Then they came for the Police, and you said : just scaremongering tactics. Then they came for the fire service, and you said : well, pretty much the same. Then Grenfell Tower burned down, and you said : " Oh dear God. Those poor souls. How could this have happened?"

 

 

 

These words summed up for me, why we are where we are. This cannot be allowed to continue.

 

When are folk going to realise - austerity is killing people.

 

Things must change.

[bobby47]

Good to read you my dear old friend. How is it possible for the two to live a stones throw away from one another and lead such different lives with so different an outcome for their children?

On the one hand you've got the rich and powerful who can purchase the most expensive real estate in the City of London, never occupy it and enjoy all the comforts that money can bring in the wealthiest City in the world, and on the other you've got the poor living in a box, an unsafe two bedroom box at that, with the rest of your family sleeping four to a room.

How does it work? The wealthy require the poor to do their bidding and the poor require the wealthy to keep paying them so that the entire dysfunctional economic model can continue to work and provide for what the two groups need to continue their stupid arrangement that ensures that Kensington Council would rather dress the outside of Grenfell Tower in lovely clothes rather than spend the money on the inside and make life more comfortable for its inhabitants.

My theory is the poor make it work. Living on next to bloody nothing, within a London economy that's so expensive to live in, they tolerate sh.it! No matter the level of sh.it they get spoon fed, somehow or other they manage to make it work and endure the pointlessness of it all. Whether it's living in cramped accomadation with questionable levels of safety, purchasing cheap food and making it stretch a long way and begging their children not to scuff their shoes, the poor fulfill their role to keep the wealthy content with all they own.

Beats me how it continues to work! And when Corbyn suggests the LA should requisition all the empty unoccupied homes that the wealthy own, patiently waiting for the real estate price to rise so that they can rake in a handsome profit and sell it to a landlord who's added to his property portfolio so that he can charge another poor family an inflated rent, the media howl, 'what a preposterous idea'.

Is it?

[dippyhippy]

Hello Bobby, to my mind, no it's not a preposterous idea.(And lovely to speak with you my friend.)

 

The decision makers have never been so out of touch with the man in the street. The gentrification of London continues - forcing out the working class, and the divide between the wealthy and the poor has never been so great. That divide is brought into stark contrast when you look at Kensington and Chelsea.

 

The bottom line is, this tragedy was completely avoidable. The Conservative council,sitting on millions in reserves, could not even respond to this horrific event.

 

Jeremy Corbyn speaks sense. He speaks for the working class. He speaks for the many, not the few.

[Ubique]

Dippy and Bobby , thank you for your posts , I found them soul searching . There's no easy answer at the moment to my mind . The recent very sad events have certainly been a wake up call to the Govt including their highly paid Cival Servants

[bobby47]

Just when you think humanity and kindness to all men and women has prevailed and usurped greed, selfishness and the political preoccupation of making the lives of the wealthy better at the expense of the poor, reality bites back to remind us that our society and it's social divisions in our great country are alive and well and happily still completely f.u.cked up for those unfortunate enough to be classed as poor and lower class.

After the announcement that Kensington Council have acquired some sixty plush and highly expensive apartments that hitherto were owned and occupied by the rich, some of its wealthy residents are now up in arms complaining that the survivors of the Grenfell inferno were going to be allowed to live in the same place as them resulting in the price of their investment shooting downwards.

Happily for these wretched rich barstards who dont want the poor living in their space, they've been assured by the Councl that these poor people will not be allowed to use the facilities which include a swimming pool.

There's a load off then! Whilst these wealthy selfish property owners will now have to share their much cherished postcode with a collection of poor people, they can be comforted in the knowledge that these scrounging and unpleasant people will not be able to use their swimming pool and swim about in it during a bloody heatwave. Good Lord!

Only a short while ago these same selfish people were sat in front of their television screens howling and wailing at the inhumanity of it all as the flames leapt from one floor to another desperately trying to out cry the person next to them in order to display just how kind and good they were. Now, barely a week or so later,,,,,they're worrying about their investment.

[SON OF GRIDKNOCKER]

@bobby47 (...these same selfish people...(are) worrying about their investment).

 

Of course they are! When you've stumped up £2,500 pcm, you certainly don't want the water in the luxury block's swimming pool to be CONTAMINATED by Syrian refugee kids!

[Ubique]

Bobby47 , another brilliant Post ,thank you for saying what the majority of us were thinking but struggled to put it into words which were acceptable to Colin.

[Aylestone Voice]

I don't know why there are complaining or perhaps they should complain to their solicitors.

As I understand it these flats were always going to be for social housing so they should have known before they bought

[SON OF GRIDKNOCKER]

Am I being terribly disingenuous here when I ask why every local authority in the country (which has re-clad any of its residential towers) is having to laboriously inspect and test them for fire risk? Camden has just 're-homed' (there's a new bit of local government weaselspeak for you; watch it pop up on HC's website in a couple of years time) 800 residents and another authority is talking about drafting in 24/7 Fire Watch Officers.

 

Rydon, the main cladding contractor at Grenfell, has remained schtum since the tragedy. Grenfell is now a crime scene. No less important players than the Met Chief Cresida Dick and PM Therea May are on the case - the latter telling the Commons this week that the culprits would have "nowhere to hide".

 

So why did the Met not visit Rydon's East Sussex head offices on 14 June and impound its entire contractual records for all current and completed re-cladding projects, saving local authorities up and down the country thousands of hours of laborious (and costly) man hours? Perhaps the redoubtable Ms Dick did indeed arrange for a Met pantechnicon to visit the firm's Forest Row offices - though somehow I suspect that we'd have been treated to an exclusive picture splashed across the front of The Daily Hate Mail.

[ragwert]

Am I being terribly disingenuous here when I ask why every local authority in the country (which has re-clad any of its residential towers) is having to laboriously inspect and test them for fire risk? Camden has just 're-homed' (there's a new bit of local government weaselspeak for you; watch it pop up on HC's website in a couple of years time) 800 residents and another authority is talking about drafting in 24/7 Fire Watch Officers.

 

Rydon, the main cladding contractor at Grenfell, has remained schtum since the tragedy. Grenfell is now a crime scene. No less important players than the Met Chief Cresida Dick and PM Therea May are on the case - the latter telling the Commons this week that the culprits would have "nowhere to hide".

 

So why did the Met not visit Rydon's East Sussex head offices on 14 June and impound its entire contractual records for all current and completed re-cladding projects, saving local authorities up and down the country thousands of hours of laborious (and costly) man hours? Perhaps the redoubtable Ms Dick did indeed arrange for a Met pantechnicon to visit the firm's Forest Row offices - though somehow I suspect that we'd have been treated to an exclusive picture splashed across the front of The Daily Hate Mail.

I have been digging a little bit more as it seems Rydon are having the finger pointed at them from every angle possible when this should not be the case.

The facts are the cladding  used was the cheaper verison of two that could have been installed.

The original planning application shows the more expensive cladding using Celotex FR5000 was to be used,this was changed to the cheaper version that uses

 a polyethylene (PE) core instead of celotex FR5000 in a revised planning application in 2014 and approved.

Why was this approved ? Because both Celotex FR5000 & the cheaper version using Polyethylene BOTH have the same fire rating class 0

 

So...Who is to blame for this? To me it's the Tory & Labour Governments who have on countless occasions over the past have not only been told of the dangers of this type of cladding

but have seen the many tower block fires around the world directly linked to this cladding(France,Australia etc)

[Pete Boggs]

Make no mistake, in the months and even years that follow, many public servants in positions of authority and power are going to be arrested, they will be prosecuted and in due course will be required to serve custodial prison sentences as punishment for the part they played in the procurement of unsuitable materials and the failure to protect the lives of their tenants.

I shall be very surprised if anyone ends up eating porridge over this tragedy, and I think the reason why is hinted at in your post. Responsibility is so diffused between the Council, its Arms Length Management Organisation, their contractors and the regulatory authorities (Council again?)  it's going to be very difficult to pin blame on anybody. Quite possibly that's the way THEY want it. I'll be amazed if there are charges, never mind convictions. Did anyone take the fall after the Lakanhall fire?

[SON OF GRIDKNOCKER]

The Daily Hate Mail's Richard Littlejohn is certainly not one of my favourite journalists. In fact, along with Piers Morgan, I'd probably nominate him as crew on the next non-returnable Mars probe. But at least he added: "You couldn't make it up" to the Lexicon of expletives which can be uttered in mixed company in pubs.

 

So imagine my surprise when I jogged down to the local newsagents, to check out the banner headlines (I never actually buy a paper; I just get one second class stamp and a Milky Way). The dear old Grauniad had it about right with: "SIXTY TOWERS ACROSS ENGLAND FOUND TO HAVE UNSAFE CLADDING". But for pure 24ct Murdochian hyperbole, you'll have to go a long way to beat The Sun's headline: "600 TOWER DEATH TRAPS".

 

You couldn't make it up.                    

[K.Butt]

@bobby47 (...these same selfish people...(are) worrying about their investment).

 

Of course they are! When you've stumped up £2,500 pcm, you certainly don't want the water in the luxury block's swimming pool to be CONTAMINATED by Syrian refugee kids!

 

I wouldn't either! 

 

That's it keep attacking wealthy people, it's like they have done something wrong being successful! They never suggested housing all the people from the floods back last year in expensive properties, so whats the difference here then? other than the pink elephant in the room. 

 

This was an absolute terrible tragedy, I think everyone acknowledges this but if I am totally honest here, (I am sure I will get slated but hey ho) the days following this horrendous fire which was caused by a faulty Hotpoint fridge we saw the PM visit twice, we saw Jeremy Corbyn visit, we then had other various MP's and celebrities turning up, mind you, Bono and that scruffy t w a t Geldolf never arrived, even though they offered their homes to refugees a few years back, that never developed into anything either than the usual hot air! Oh let's not forget the Queen visited along with Prince WIlliam and yes all this to show support at this sad time for these people but I don't remember seeing all of these people turning up after the London Bridge or Manchester Attacks? 

 

If this were me or you we wouldn't get this support. Are ALL of these people not insured at all? Why have the insurance companies not got people on the ground? Perhaps they have but there is too much finger pointing in my opinion.

[Paul Jones]

I wouldn't either! 

 

That's it keep attacking wealthy people, it's like they have done something wrong being successful! They never suggested housing all the people from the floods back last year in expensive properties, so whats the difference here then? other than the pink elephant in the room. 

 

This was an absolute terrible tragedy, I think everyone acknowledges this but if I am totally honest here, (I am sure I will get slated but hey ho) the days following this horrendous fire which was caused by a faulty Hotpoint fridge we saw the PM visit twice, we saw Jeremy Corbyn visit, we then had other various MP's and celebrities turning up, mind you, Bono and that scruffy t w a t Geldolf never arrived, even though they offered their homes to refugees a few years back, that never developed into anything either than the usual hot air! Oh let's not forget the Queen visited along with Prince WIlliam and yes all this to show support at this sad time for these people but I don't remember seeing all of these people turning up after the London Bridge or Manchester Attacks? 

 

If this were me or you we wouldn't get this support. Are ALL of these people not insured at all? Why have the insurance companies not got people on the ground? Perhaps they have but there is too much finger pointing in my opinion.

 

Nothing on this scale was done for the people of Boscastle where over 100 homes and business's were destroyed or after the floods in Cumbria where over 4,000 households were flooded is this a special case and if so, why?  More attention should be looked into what caused the fire in the first place, fridges don't normally catch fire and residents reported that the owner of the flat in question left with suitcases that very night?

[Cambo]

I wouldn't either!

 

That's it keep attacking wealthy people, it's like they have done something wrong being successful! They never suggested housing all the people from the floods back last year in expensive properties, so whats the difference here then? other than the pink elephant in the room.

 

This was an absolute terrible tragedy, I think everyone acknowledges this but if I am totally honest here, (I am sure I will get slated but hey ho) the days following this horrendous fire which was caused by a faulty Hotpoint fridge we saw the PM visit twice, we saw Jeremy Corbyn visit, we then had other various MP's and celebrities turning up, mind you, Bono and that scruffy t w a t Geldolf never arrived, even though they offered their homes to refugees a few years back, that never developed into anything either than the usual hot air! Oh let's not forget the Queen visited along with Prince WIlliam and yes all this to show support at this sad time for these people but I don't remember seeing all of these people turning up after the London Bridge or Manchester Attacks?

 

If this were me or you we wouldn't get this support. Are ALL of these people not insured at all? Why have the insurance companies not got people on the ground? Perhaps they have but there is too much finger pointing in my opinion.

Where's your human compassion as you always seem to be down trodding on the poor not everyone can be rich & when your poor with money being tight then things like home insurance can be a luxury item they just can't afford.

 

These people are now homeless have lost loved ones neighbors & friends because of this avoidable tragedy so are in need of help so don't begrudge them of receiving any help.

 

Rich people never have the worry of where their next meals coming from or if they will have a roof over their head tomorrow…rich people need other people too you know they don't get rich on their own!

[Steve Major]

Where's your human compassion as you always seem to be down trodding on the poor not everyone can be rich & when your poor with money being tight then things like home insurance can be a luxury item they just can't afford.

 

These people are now homeless have lost loved ones neighbors & friends because of this avoidable tragedy so are in need of help so don't begrudge them of receiving any help.

 

Rich people never have the worry of where their next meals coming from or if they will have a roof over their head tomorrow…rich people need other people too you know they don't get rich on their own!

 

Again having a pop at well off people. I am not well off by any standard but it does become a bit tiresome blaming those who happen to be successful, many have worked damn hard too. 

 

I have compassion that said, a friend of ours who lives in Liverpool, there home was damaged from fire and they had to find their own temporary accommodation, the council were not really interested, because it was a private house they told them to speak with their insurers, they were not insured, guess what, nobody other than their family helped them, this was about 5 years ago. So like always in the UK if you work hard an try to better yourself by buying your own home etc your penalised, yet if you don't work everything appears to be provided free of charge. My friend lives in a semi detached Cornish house in Swindon, she had the house left to her when her mother passed away, new people have moved in next door within the last 2 years, they have had all the new alterations, roof tiles, windows, and kitchen and because my friend owns her house they totally left hers, so if your driving around and wonder why one half of a semi looks new and the other is untouched you now know why. 

 

I agree with the above comments, if this were you or me, no help would be coming our way I am sure. The PM has pledged £5 million and has said she will try to re-house these people within 3 weeks which I think is very good, they have refused to let the immigration dept get involved trying to identify people, is that because many of those could of been her illegally? 

 

Bono and Geldof now theres a question, where are these two? 

[Cambo]

Again having a pop at well off people. I am not well off by any standard but it does become a bit tiresome blaming those who happen to be successful, many have worked damn hard too.

 

I have compassion that said, a friend of ours who lives in Liverpool, there home was damaged from fire and they had to find their own temporary accommodation, the council were not really interested, because it was a private house they told them to speak with their insurers, they were not insured, guess what, nobody other than their family helped them, this was about 5 years ago. So like always in the UK if you work hard an try to better yourself by buying your own home etc your penalised, yet if you don't work everything appears to be provided free of charge. My friend lives in a semi detached Cornish house in Swindon, she had the house left to her when her mother passed away, new people have moved in next door within the last 2 years, they have had all the new alterations, roof tiles, windows, and kitchen and because my friend owns her house they totally left hers, so if your driving around and wonder why one half of a semi looks new and the other is untouched you now know why.

 

I agree with the above comments, if this were you or me, no help would be coming our way I am sure. The PM has pledged £5 million and has said she will try to re-house these people within 3 weeks which I think is very good, they have refused to let the immigration dept get involved trying to identify people, is that because many of those could of been her illegally?

 

Bono and Geldof now theres a question, where are these two?

I don't care where bono & Geldof are they are fakers just out to sell papers & grow their egos!

 

But you like so many other seem to love picking on the less unfortunate in life? STOP putting this countries woes on their heads the rich are as guilty as the chancers & freeloaders of this world they like to keep their wealthy for themselves even thou that wealthy was likely to be built on the misery of others?… because rich people get rich off the backs of others fact!…granted not all of them are totally selfish but there are plenty out there are…I'd describe them as no better than con artist swindlers & thieves all done within a the laws that they have created for their own selfish ends so don't preach to me about the rich/wealthy people of this world they are no better than those who use the system lower down the social scale to con the system.…but maybe your more comfortable being in a field being feed whatever your told & believing it by your wealthy masters!

 

Good day sir

[Paul Jones]

I don't care where bono & Geldof are they are fakers just out to sell papers & grow their egos!

 

But you like so many other seem to love picking on the less unfortunate in life? STOP putting this countries woes on their heads the rich are as guilty as the chancers & freeloaders of this world they like to keep their wealthy for themselves even thou that wealthy was likely to be built on the misery of others?… because rich people get rich off the backs of others fact!…granted not all but there are plenty out there who do…I'd describe them as no better than con artist swindlers & thieves all done within a the laws that they have created for their own selfish ends so don't preach to me about the rich/wealthy people of this world they are no better than those who use the system lower down the social scale to con the system.…but maybe your more comfortable being in a field being feed whatever your told & believing it by your wealthy masters!

 

Good day sir

 

My immediate bosses have all worked very hard for many years to achieve their ambitions and look after the staff well along the way, wealthy people are not all con artists, you could argue that benefit fraudsters are even worse!!! 

[SON OF GRIDKNOCKER]

With the country's public sector resources stretched to the limit, and technicians working around the clock to check suspect tower block cladding (that's without even knowing what the bill will be for replacing suspect panels; or the costs of rehousing displaced council tenants), can anyone explain how it is possible for 'that woman' to squander £1-billion to buy the short-term Parliamentary support of a bunch of homophobic, anti-abortion, climate-change-denying bigots? I find it absolutely obscene.