Sadiq Khan has refused to move the Notting Hill carnival after a senior government minister questioned whether the annual event, which happens near Grenfell Tower, should go ahead at its traditional home so soon after the deadly blaze.
Greg Hands, the minister for London, wrote to the London mayor to ask whether it would be “appropriate to stage a carnival in the near proximity of a major national disaster”. Though he accepted the August carnival “must go ahead”, he suggested that it be moved and raised the prospect of the local council stepping in to help organise it.
Khan rejected the request, saying the carnival belonged in the streets where it has been held since 1966 and that moving it risked further damaging community relations.
The mayor wrote: “The Notting Hill carnival is one of the world’s biggest street festivals and has become a firm London tradition over many decades. It was born out of the African-Caribbean immigrant community in north Kensington and Notting Hill in the 1950s, and it’s only right that this remains its home.
“Any attempt to impose a move to another location on the carnival, particularly at a time when the community has little trust in those in positions of authority, would be a mistake.
“It is only right that this year’s carnival marks the terrible tragedy at Grenfell Tower and the mayor will work closely with the organisers and the wider community to ensure they are consulted and involved in the planning for an appropriate commemoration.”
Pepe Francis, a director of the event and the chairman of the British Association of Steelbands, said the carnival was not moving anywhere because it was “part of that community”.
He said: “Notting Hill carnival came out of the Caribbean culture that came out of the Caribbean people who were living in Notting Hill at the time” of its inception in the 1960s. That made it very important to the area’s community, he said.
Notting Hill Carnival is a firm London tradition and incredibly important to the local community. It should not be moved. https://t.co/NpNsTtGiV7
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) July 7, 2017
In his letter, Hands, whose Chelsea and Fulham constituency is nearby, had written: “The carnival is an important and symbolic celebration in our capital’s calendar, and one greatly valued and enjoyed by both Londoners and visitors alike.”
The organisers expect about 1.5 million people to attend the carnival this year, which takes place only a few minutes’ walk from Grenfell Tower. There have been calls to move it in the past, while the former Conservative MP Victoria Borwick and the Metropolitan police have said it should be reviewed, citing crime rates and the risk of injuries from a crush – among other concerns.
While the rate of arrests is lower than at Glastonbury festival, which some consider to be relatively crime-free, the carnival was the scene of 16 stabbings last year.
Following a review, London’s mayor indicated it would be supported by an events management company for the first time this year. The review was set up to consider crowd dynamics. “This is particularly important in the current climate, following terror attacks in Westminster, Manchester, and London Bridge and Borough Market, and in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy,” the mayor’s office said.
