Pic:The group outside Number 10 on Saturday.
Staff reporter(wp/es):
Grenfell Tower victims held “passionate and angry” talks with Theresa May in an “unprecedented” meeting at Downing Street just days after a fire ravaged 120 homes and killed as many as 58 people.
Sixteen "very ordinary people" voiced their concerns at Number 10 and left Saturday’s meeting finally feeling like they were listened to, the Bishop of Kensington, Dr Graham Tomlin said.
The Bishop added that is hopeful the two-and-a-half hour long meeting, attended by victims, residents, community leaders and volunteers, was the starting point for a process of "lasting change".
He said: "I'm positive because I think it was a real chance for local residents, people affected by this tragedy, to voice their concerns directly to the Prime Minister so that she could hear them.
"That's why I'm positive about it, because I think in the past local residents here have not always been listened to."
He added that feeling of being ignored is a source of much "deep frustration", and told how people have been left feeling "that decisions are taken about their lives and their homes that they are not party to".
He described the residents as "brilliant" in how they raised and explained their concerns to Mrs May.
Dr Tomlin said: "I thought the way they expressed themselves with a mixture of passion and reason was fantastic, and I hope it's the beginning of a process, not the end of a process, the beginning of a process of real listening between Government, RBKC (the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council), local residents, that will bring about lasting change."
Following the meeting, Mrs May released a strongly-worded statement in which she said on-the-ground support for families in the immediate aftermath of the blaze "was not good enough".
She said she has ordered daily progress reports on housing for those affected, and vowed the public inquiry into the disaster will be "open and transparent".
Dr Tomlin said the residents had gone from living normal lives before the tragedy to bringing their frustrations to the very top of Government.
He said: "Clearly it's quite unprecedented for 16 very ordinary people, who this time last week were walking their dogs or talking to each other in the streets around here and north Kensington, actually to be in 10 Downing Street talking face-to-face with the Prime Minister. I think it was a good thing to do."
Asked if there were angry exchanges, he said: "We tried to hold it well as a meeting. There was passion, there was anger, but there was good, hard, reasoned argument used by the residents."
Questioned as to whether the anger followed Mrs May's initial visit to the west London site during which she did not meet residents, he said: "We didn't talk directly about that."
Dr Tomlin said he believed residents left the meeting feeling "reassured that they were listened to", but added: "Time will tell as to whether it makes a difference.
"We wait to see what action will come from it, but they were reassured that they were listened to.”
The Bishop’s revelations came as Labour MP David Lammy called on the Prime Minister and Metropolitan Police to immediately seize all relevant Grenfell Tower documents.
Mr Lammy, who lost friend Khadija Saye in the blaze, said that after speaking to residents, suspicion of a cover-up is rising and Mrs May and investigators must ensure all pertinent documents are protected.
The Tottenham MP said: "Within the community, trust in the authorities is falling through the floor and a suspicion of a cover-up is rising.
"The Prime Minister needs to act immediately to ensure that all evidence is protected so that everyone culpable for what happened at Grenfell Tower is held to account and feels the full force of the law.
"We need urgent action now to make sure that all records and documents relating to the refurbishment and management of Grenfell Tower are protected."
Mr Lammy added that justice can only done if all records - emails, minutes of meetings, correspondence with contractors, safety assessments, specifications and reports - are preserved.
He said: "When the truth comes out about this tragedy we may find that there is blood on the hands of a number of organisations.
"At this stage, it is my grave concern that the families of Grenfell Tower will not get justice if documents are being quietly destroyed and shredded and emails are being deleted."
The police have powers to seize all documents, but Section 35 of the Public Inquiry Act, which makes the destruction of any documents a criminal offence, does not apply until a chairman is appointed and the terms of reference set.
On Saturday, police confirmed 58 people were missing, presumed dead, following the blaze after police revealed some of the victims “may never be identified”.
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