Calls for former Bristol MP to be stripped of honorary alderman status

The leader of Bristol’s Labour group of councillors says that is a “disgrace” that former Bristol West MP Stephen Williams remains an honorary alderman following his “shocking” evidence to the Grenfell Tower inquiry.

Williams, who was MP for Bristol West between 2005 to 2015, served as the government minister responsible for building regulations.

He admitted that he did not read the coroner’s letter recommending government action following a fatal fire in a block of flats eight years before 72 people died at Grenfell in 2017.

Calling for Williams to be stripped of his honorary status as alderman, Steve Pearce said: “The tragedy at Grenfell Tower remains one of the darkest stains on our country’s history.

“Stephen Williams’ testimony at the Grenfell Inquiry, in front of a senior judge, was shocking. Despite being the minister responsible, he admitted having never bothered to read the coroner’s letter or recommendations following the Lakanal House fire in 2009.

“That he remains an honorary alderman of Bristol, one of our city’s highest civic honours, is a disgrace. Stephen Williams must be suspended from this position – pending the outcome of this judge-led inquiry.”

Steve Pearce is the leader of the Bristol Labour group of councillors and councillor for St George – photo: Bristol Labour

Williams admitted he did not read the coroner’s letter recommending government action following a fatal fire in a block of flats, the inquiry heard.

Stephen Williams was the minister at the time of the Lakanal House fire in 2009 – where six people died when a high rise tower block in Camberwell, London, went up in flames because of an electrical fault.

But during his testimony at the Grenfell Tower Inquiry on April 4, the former Lib Dem MP and twice unsuccessful metro mayor candidate, said that he had not read the safety recommendations detailed in the coroner’s letter.

Some of those affected by the building safety scandal turned out to protest on College Green in October last year – photo: Ellie Pipe

The judge-led inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people, is currently hearing from former government ministers who were responsible for tower block safety, fire safety and housing.

It heard that the letter to the government raised concerns about the cladding on Lakanal House and recommended changes.

But Williams said that he had relied on what the officials in his department told him about the coroner’s recommendations, rather than reading them himself.

Answering if he had compared a briefing with the letter, Williams said: “I honestly don’t think I ever saw it. And the paper evidence trail shows that it was never shown to me.”

Richard Millett QC, lead counsel to the inquiry, asked: “Given that you were involved in progressing the actions in response to the coroner’s letter, Mr Williams, how could you possibly have undertaken that task without reading the coroner’s recommendations?”

Williams replied: “What I’m saying is I never saw a physical copy of the actual letter… But I was advised that the coroner recommended that something be done about window installers and that was addressed quickly.”

Millet added: “Did you not want to see the letter and see the recommendations themselves, given that six people had died as a result of defects of apparent defects the coroner had pointed out?”

In response, Williams said. “I could have spent an awful lot of time going back in time over what my predecessors as ministers in this area or what the secretary of state had decided in 2010, 20211, 2012, 2013, but I’m not sure that would have made me more effective as minister. I had lots of immediate issues in terms of building control and the five other areas of my responsibility to deal with.”

This was despite calls from an all-party parliamentary group (APPG) of MPs, who lobbied for measures like sprinklers and banning class zero cladding, urging him to act faster.

Honorary aldermen are ceremonial roles appointed by councillors for people – usually former councillors – who have shown distinguished service to Bristol’s civic life.

Williams has been approached by Bristol24/7 for comment. He told Bristol Live that all those who gave evidence to the inquiry have been advised not to speak about it until after the findings have been published.

Main photo: Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Read more: Bristol’s building safety crisis uncovered 

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