{"id":384063,"date":"2018-11-07T12:42:53","date_gmt":"2018-11-07T11:42:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/newswire\/company-gagged-from-criticizing-may-in-wake-of-grenfell-fire-rt-uk-news\/"},"modified":"2018-11-07T12:42:53","modified_gmt":"2018-11-07T11:42:53","slug":"company-gagged-from-criticizing-may-in-wake-of-grenfell-fire-rt-uk-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/newswire\/company-gagged-from-criticizing-may-in-wake-of-grenfell-fire-rt-uk-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Company \u2018gagged\u2019 from criticizing May in wake of Grenfell fire \u2014 RT UK News"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

The company hired to test flammable cladding on government-built buildings \u2013 in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire \u2013 have been \u2018gagged\u2019 from criticizing Prime Minister Theresa May. <\/p>\n

\n

Engineering firm WSP signed a UK government contract worth more than \u00a3100,000 (US$131,500) to carry out testing of cladding on buildings, 12 days after the Grenfell Tower fire in which 72 people died. A prerequisite of the deal was WSP having to sign a gagging clause preventing the company from being able to create \u201cadverse publicity\u201d<\/em> for or \u201cembarrass\u201d<\/em> PM May and her Cabinet Office, the Times reports.\u00a0<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Five arrested over Grenfell Tower effigy burning<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>The deal was agreed at a time when the prime minister was receiving criticism for her handling of the disaster, much of which was related to her failure to meet residents and survivors of Grenfell Tower in the immediate aftermath and her refusal to sack her chief-of-staff, Gavin Barwell.<\/p>\n

Former Housing Minister Barwell was accused of \u201csitting on\u201d<\/em> on a review into building regulations at tower blocks after a deadly fire in south London in 2009 killed six people.<\/p>\n

The revelations have been met with a mixture of disbelief and outrage on social media from across the political spectrum. Labour MP David Lammy, whose friend Khadija Saye died in the fire, said the gagging clause demonstrated \u201cunforgivable cowardice\u201d<\/em> on the part of May. The Sun\u2019s deputy political editor, Steve Hawkes, claimed it was an \u201cawful look\u201d<\/em> for the UK government.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

.@theresa_may<\/a>, why did you gag firms and charities from criticising you in these investigations that followed Grenfell fire?<\/p>\n

This shows unforgivable cowardice. If you respected the 72 that died, you would have let firms follow the truth wherever it led.https:\/\/t.co\/Y2RYDY1zkk<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 David Lammy (@DavidLammy) November 6, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Imagine this Tory Government gagging firms from criticising the Prime Minister Theresa May in a Grenfell safety deal, banned!? That is a new low… just unbelievable!! part of a \u00a325Bn Deal?! https:\/\/t.co\/xoK2PWEmVL<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 ARTIST TAXI DRIVER (@chunkymark) November 6, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

The gag was one of hundreds imposed by the government on contractors. The Times claims cabinet ministers have banned 40 charities and over 300 companies since 2015 from publicly criticizing them, their departments, or the PM, as part of contracts costing the British taxpayer \u00a325 billion.<\/p>\n

The government had already come under fire for using the controversial clauses after it emerged the Department for Work and Pensions had forced as many as 22 groups working on the implementation of the Universal Credit welfare program to sign contracts forcing them to \u201cpay the utmost regard to the standing and reputation\u201d<\/em> of Esther McVey, the Work and Pensions secretary.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a0‘Huge’ amount of potentially carcinogenic toxins found near Grenfell Tower site \u2013 expert<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Cabinet Office signed the deal with WSP to advise officials on whether cladding used by the government estate complied with building regulations, on June 26, 2017. The company has expertise in cladding and fire safety and worked on the structural engineering for One World Trade Center in New York and the Shard in London.<\/p>\n