Grenfell Tower Fire: Corbyn calls for empty flats in the adjacent area to be requisitioned as evidence grows that negligence responsible for the blaze

2017-06-16T13:47:00-04:00

Reports indicate that a cladding, banned in the United States, added to the Grenfell Tower was largely responsible for the intensity of the fire that claimed at least 30 lives earlier this week in North Kensington. It was just £2 cheaper per square meter than an alternative, fire resistant version. Disturbingly, the cladding was added to appease wealthy residents nearby, states Emma Dent Coad, the Kensington MP, and to ‘regenerate’ the area through development.

Anger has risen as the fire increasingly looks less like a tragic accident and more and more like the result of outdated regulations and funding cuts. For example, sprinkler systems are not mandatory in public housing blocks—raising fears that some 4,000 similar blocks are at risk of similar tragedies. It is important to note that black and minority ethnic people are disproportionately housed in such flats.

When a fire erupted in 2009 in another tower block, analysis made clear inadequate measures were being taken to address fi...

RIBA responds positively to Corbyn's new manifesto for Labour

2017-05-16T15:43:00-04:00

In mid-April, the Prime Minister Theresa May reversed her earlier stated decision and called for a snap election—a move that surprised many. While some called the move opportunistic, others supported the early election, including Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Labour, the opposition party. The Labour Party currently trails behind the Conservative Party, led by May, in national polls. Today, Corbyn released a manifesto, intended to make clear his party’s positions and to drum up support for the embattled party.

The manifesto, dubbed “For the Many, Not the Few”, takes strong positions. Around £50B sourced primarily from taxes on corporations and the country’s wealthiest citizens would be used to fund major new public programs, from housing to education to healthcare to transit. The manifesto rules out rises in VAT, national insurance, and income tax for all but the top 5% of earners.

For some, the manifesto is seen as stridently leftist. By all accounts, it represents a stark difference to th...

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Grenfell Tower Fire: Corbyn calls for empty flats in the adjacent area to be requisitioned as evidence grows that negligence responsible for the blaze

RIBA responds positively to Corbyn's new manifesto for Labour