Top story: Grenfell Tower was ‘disaster waiting to happen’
Good morning, it’s Warren Murray with your morning briefing today.
Anger has quickly followed shock and grief as the search continues in London for people missing following the Grenfell Tower fire. Twelve people are confirmed to have died and the toll is expected to rise after the 24-storey building was gutted in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Witnesses have given harrowing accounts of people “waiting to die” in their flats as the flames raced up the building through external cladding. Firefighters managed to rescue 65 but for others there was no escape. At least 68 survivors were taken to hospital, with 18 placed in critical care. Dr Malcolm Tunnicliff of King’s College hospital has told of treating people for smoke inhalation – some were left with “critical injuries to their airways and lungs, though we will get them through that”.
The council-owned tower block in west London has been described as a “disaster waiting to happen” following repeated warnings from residents and activists about its condition. Its outsourced, not-for-profit management had been conducting a safety review after arson at another of its towers left residents with smoke inhalation. Grenfell had just had a £10m upgrade completed by private contractors, including installing the external cladding. The main contractor, Rydon, has said all its work met fire safety standards.
Our editorial says nothing could more starkly illustrate Britain’s divided society than a disaster like this “in one of the richest boroughs, in one of the world’s richest cities … So too is evidence of a government in hock to a grasping building industry running a policy of austerity that has starved local councils of cash.”
We have a visual guide to how the disaster unfolded and are continuing our live coverage of the aftermath.
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‘Baseball bats versus a rifle’ – A gunman who opened fire on US Republican politicians and left one critically wounded has been described as an outspoken, disillusioned leftwing activist with a history of family violence and disturbing behaviour with firearms. James Hodgkinson, 66, also known as “Tom”, sprayed bullets from a rifle and handgun as the group played baseball in a park in Alexandria, Virginia, across the Potomac river from Washington DC. House whip Steve Scalise was struck in the hip and remains in critical condition in hospital after severe blood loss. Hodgkinson was killed when police accompanying the group returned fire. Two other political staff and two police were wounded. The Republicans had been practising for a charity game against Democrats.
The shocking incident was immediately picked over for political significance in the highly polarised climate since Donald Trump’s election. “Everyone on that field is a public servant,” Trump said in a televised statement, praising “our courageous police, our congressional aides … and our dedicated members of Congress who represent our people”. In Congress, the Republican Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, said: “We are united. We are united in our shock and anguish. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us,” in remarks that were backed by Nancy Pelosi, the Democrats’ leader in the chamber. Bernie Sanders condemned Hodgkinson’s “despicable” act after it was reported he had volunteered on the Democratic presidential hopeful’s 2016 campaign. Ross Barkan writes that conservatives will blame the fever pitch whipped up by “unhinged progressives” in the Trump era, while others will point out the obvious need for stricter gun control – and in the end, America will come out of it having learned nothing.
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Shadow of Grenfell over politics – The Conservatives and the DUP are holding back their expected announcement of a minority government deal after the west London tower fire. Theresa May is today expected to have talks with Sinn Féin and other Northern Ireland parties because of potential implications for power-sharing in Stormont. The Queen’s speech also looks set to be put back from Monday. Jeremy Corbyn said it was a “nonsense situation” for the country not to know when it will have a functioning government and parliament.
The Liberal Democrats are looking for a new leader after Tim Farron said he will step down because of persistent questioning over his Christian beliefs. “I am passionate about defending the rights and liberties of people who believe very different things to me,” said Farron, adding that he had never sought to impose his faith on people through politics but it had nonetheless made him the subject of suspicion. Successors are being discussed as a leadership election looms during the summer recess.
Corbyn has carried out a light-touch reshuffle of his Labour shadow cabinet, including adding former critic Owen Smith in the Northern Ireland portfolio. Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, loses the job of party chair, which goes to ex-miner Ian Lavery who co-chaired the election campaign.
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Trump ‘under investigation’ – Reports this morning suggest the president himself is now being investigated for obstruction of justice over the Trump-Russia affair. Trump has always declared himself not to be under suspicion – this is the first time that the contrary has appeared to be the case. According to the Washington Post, special counsel Robert Mueller is looking into allegations that centre on the president leaning on James Comey, whom he later fired as FBI chief. Trump also allegedly pressed his case with intelligence chiefs for Comey to back off, and asked them to issue public statements watering down evidence of collusion between his campaign and Russia during the 2016 election.
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Don’t lick and drive – With a warm and sunny weekend forecast for the UK, police are warning of the dangers of alcoholic ice lollies that can put you over the driving limit. Some are 10% alcohol. “If you wouldn’t consider drinking a gin and tonic or cocktail when driving, then you shouldn’t consider having one of these lollies,” said traffic inspector Harry Simpson. The Met Office says temperatures could hit 30C in central and south-eastern England this weekend – further north, warmer weather is also predicted, though interrupted by cloudy and rainy spells.
Lunchtime read: We are the world, literally
Industrial capitalism is a form of artificial intelligence. We are all part virus. Knives and forks are conscious in a way. Climate change is a “hyperobject” – just as real to our lives as something you can pick up and touch.
A handful of the ideas of Timothy Morton – the “philosopher prophet of the Anthropocene”, our era of humankind’s drastic reshaping of the Earth – who preaches that these days doing just about anything is an environmental question, and we are condemned to live with that knowledge. Getting free of that burden means embracing a life in tune with the planet and all its entities – then revelling in it, like there’s a wind-powered disco in every room of your house.
Sport
Eoin Morgan has lamented a lack of home advantage and his side’s inability to adapt after a collective dose of paralysis with the bat on a reused Cardiff pitch led to England being bundled out of the Champions Trophy by a resurgent Pakistan. Ireland’s Peter O’Mahony will captain the British and Irish Lions in their final weekend fixture prior to the first Test against New Zealand with tour skipper Sam Warburton on the bench.
The final version of the independent review into the culture of British Cycling has been published, but it differs from a leaked draft with many examples of language being softened or emotive words and terms, such as “bullying”, being omitted.
The long-touted fight between UFC star Conor McGregor and the former five-division boxing champion Floyd Mayweather has been set for 26 August at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. And Claude Puel has been sacked by Southampton after one season in charge, while Manchester United have signed Swedish international defender Victor Lindelof from Benfica for £31m.
Business
Asia-Pacific shares were down on Thursday as optimism about the US Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates was overshadowed by concerns about a possible criminal investigation into Donald Trump. Investors fear the legal imbroglio surrounding the president could derail his much-touted plans to boost spending and cut taxes that have done so much to fuel this year’s stocks rally.
The Nikkei in Japan was off 0.4% while in Sydney, where energy and resource companies were hurt by a near seven-month low in the price of oil, the ASX200 was down more than 1.2%.
The pound has been flat at $1.274 and €1.135.
The papers
All the papers have the terrible events at Grenfell Tower on their front pages. Some simply have a headline and a picture, others accompanied by a story. Almost all are incredulous.
The Mail headline asks the question many have posed: “How the hell could it happen” with a backdrop picture of the fierce fire that enveloped the tower block.
“They were told it was safe”, says the Sun – the fire began only weeks after the end of a £10m refurbishment and followed complaints from residents.
The Mirror has one word: “Deathtrap”, and highlights a rising death toll as well as the warnings that were given. The Times goes with “Disaster in 15 minutes” and says the 24-storey building was quickly engulfed in flames. The Guardian’s headline: “The warnings were ignored”.
The i sums it up in three words: “Tragic, Horrific, Avoidable”. The Metro calls it “Hell on earth”. Lastly, the FT majors on the decision by the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates while warning of low inflation figures.
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