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Former Head of Press for Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry team appointed as RBKC’s Director of Communications and Community Engagement

J4G is deeply concerned at the appointment of Michael Clarke to the post of Director of Communications and Community Engagement at RBKC. Immediately prior to this appointment, Mr Clarke was Head of Press for the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry. J4G believes that his appointment to an internal Council post is a classic example of poacher turned gamekeeper and seriously undermines what little credibility the Public Inquiry had with the North Kensington community and other stakeholders. It also raises questions about the much heralded “new” approach to governance at RBKC, moving from the consultation model to a community led model.

This concern is further compounded by his previous role as interim chief media spokesman for First Secretary of State Damian Green and Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood. In this role, according to his own Linkedin Profile, https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelclarkethamesadvisors/?ppe=1

Mr Clarke led a team of press officers covering UK Government transformation programmes including the Government Digital Service, Crown Commercial Service, Government Commercial Function, Government Property Unit, and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.

The odds continue to stack up against a robust and meaningful Public Inquiry, Sir Martin Moore-Bik already faced an uphill challenge as far as convincing survivors, bereaved families, evacuated residents and the wider community that the Inquiry would address their concerns about the Council and TMO. That task has just got a whole lot more difficult.

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    Letter to Evening Standard re: misleading headline

      Dear Doug Wills, Managing Editor, Evening Standard

      I am writing to you with regard to an article that appeared in yesterday’s edition of the Standard, headlined “New boss in charge of finding homes for Grenfell Families will earn £100K”.

      The article itself is fair and accurate overall, however the juxtaposition of the headline, my photo and the picture caption gives the impression that it is I, a Justice 4 Grenfell Campaign Coordinator, who has landed this highly paid, top job at RBKC. This unfortunate error plays into the hands of those seeking to discredit the Campaign by undermining our individual credibility. It suggests that J4G Coordinators are seeking to profit from the apocalypse that is Grenfell and nothing could be further from the truth. We are volunteers who have worked ceaselessly since the launch of the campaign in June, motivated solely by the over-arching desire to achieve justice for all those affected by the entirely preventable disaster.

      J4G welcomes the continuing media interest and commitment to covering the Grenfell disaster, over the last 3 months we have spoken to several reporters from the Standard and wouldn’t want our relationship to be jeopardised by headlines that mislead. Based on this good faith and in the spirit of future collaboration, we would welcome a clarification via the letters page or similar.

      I/we look forward to hearing from you.

      Yours sincerely

      Sue Caro
      Campaign Coordinator, Justice 4 Grenfell