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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/30/kensington-and-chelsea-council-leader-nicholas-paget-brown-quits-in-wake-of-grenfell-disaster
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| Kensington and Chelsea council leader quits in wake of Grenfell disaster | Kensington and Chelsea council leader quits in wake of Grenfell disaster |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Conservative leader and deputy leader of the embattled Kensington and Chelsea council have both resigned in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster. | |
| Nicholas Paget-Brown said he would step down as soon as a new leader was in place, amid criticism over the local authority’s response to the tragedy and, more recently over his decision to seek to bar the press and public from the first council meeting following the fire. | |
| Paget-Brown said: “As council leader I have to accept my share of responsibility for these perceived failings. | |
| “In particular my decision to accept legal advice that I should not compromise the public inquiry by having an open discussion in public yesterday has itself become a political story. And it cannot be right that this should have become the focus of attention when so many are dead or still unaccounted for.” | |
| In his statement Paget-Brown said his replacement would pick a new deputy and cabinet, meaning the current deputy leader, Rock Feilding-Mellen, will also depart. | |
| Both Downing Street and the communities secretary, Sajid Javid, said the Conservative-run council should have allowed the media to attend the cabinet meeting. | |
| A No 10 spokeswoman said the prime minister “would have expected the council to respect” a high court ruling that said journalists should be allowed at the meeting. | A No 10 spokeswoman said the prime minister “would have expected the council to respect” a high court ruling that said journalists should be allowed at the meeting. |
| While Downing Street also said the council had made some progress over its response to the fire, which killed at least 80 people, it is understood to be angry at the chaotic scenes at the cabinet meeting on Thursday evening. | |
| The council initially said the public and media would be barred to avoid potential disorder. However, after a last-minute legal challenge from media organisations including the Guardian, the high court said accredited journalists could attend. | The council initially said the public and media would be barred to avoid potential disorder. However, after a last-minute legal challenge from media organisations including the Guardian, the high court said accredited journalists could attend. |
| But when the meeting began Paget-Brown made a brief statement and then closed the session, saying it could not continue with journalists present. This prompted loud objections from opposition councillors. | But when the meeting began Paget-Brown made a brief statement and then closed the session, saying it could not continue with journalists present. This prompted loud objections from opposition councillors. |
| The Downing Street spokeswoman said: “Our view is that access to democracy should always be easy, and we think that’s vital if people want to retain confidence in our democratic system. | The Downing Street spokeswoman said: “Our view is that access to democracy should always be easy, and we think that’s vital if people want to retain confidence in our democratic system. |
| “I can’t obviously speak for the council, but there are rules that state all meetings must be open to the public except in certain circumstances. | “I can’t obviously speak for the council, but there are rules that state all meetings must be open to the public except in certain circumstances. |
| “As we saw in this specific case, the high court ruled that the meeting should be open, and we would have expected the council to respect that.” | “As we saw in this specific case, the high court ruled that the meeting should be open, and we would have expected the council to respect that.” |
| Javid had said: “Access to the democratic process should always be open and transparent – I would urge all levels of government to always favour this approach so people can retain confidence in the system.” | Javid had said: “Access to the democratic process should always be open and transparent – I would urge all levels of government to always favour this approach so people can retain confidence in the system.” |