Ex-director in charge of Grenfell cuts no longer at senior council role following backlash

Labour Party / 28 October 2026 Budget failed to exorcise ‘ghost of Thatcher,’ say STUC 28 October 2026 Nato / 28 October 2026 Unions ‘concerned' by spending cuts to fill £4.7bn defence plan blackhole 28 October 2026 Climate Costs / 28 October 2026 Greens hit out at Budget as reports of Rosebank green light assumptions 28 October 2026 Palestine Solidarity / 28 October 2026 Manchester protesters gather in emergency action against West Bank attacks 28 October 2026 IWGB / 28 October 2026 Rockstar workers could ‘make gaming history’ with ballot to win union recognition 28 October 2026 Environment / 28 October 2026 Climate change should be formally declared global health emergency, experts say 28 October 2026 THE housing director who oversaw cost-cutting at Grenfell Tower has left a senior council housing role following backlash from bereaved families and survivors, it was revealed today.

Laura Johnson was director of housing at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea at the time of the 2017 blaze at the building, which killed 72 people.

During the Grenfell inquiry, she was heavily criticised over her role in the budget-cutting decisions before the blaze.

It found that she pushed for a new contractor to carry out the tower’s renovation on a lower budget, which ultimately meant metal cladding was swapped for combustible plastic-filled panels to save money.

Over the summer, she was appointed director of development and property at the Barnet Group, which manages the borough’s 13,000 council homes, on a salary of £157,078.

Bereaved families and survivors described the move as “outrageous and disrespectful.”

In a recent letter to Kensington and Bayswater Labour MP Joe Powell, Barnet Group confirmed that Ms Johnson was “no longer employed” by the company.

It is not clear what led to her departure.

Board chair Eamon McGoldrick said in the letter: “We fully recognise the depth of feeling surrounding the Grenfell Tower tragedy and its continuing impact on bereaved families, survivors, residents and the wider community.

“We also fully acknowledge legitimate public interest concerning governance of senior appointments.”

He said that he “owed obligations of confidentiality” to employees and could not go into specific details.

Mr Powell said: “It’s totally inappropriate for any individual criticised by the inquiry to continue to work in housing, particularly while criminal investigations are ongoing.

“It’s right that Laura Johnson is no longer in such a position.”

A Barnet Group spokesperson previously insisted Ms Johnson was the “strongest candidate” in a competitive field, saying: “In common with any employer, we owe obligations of confidentiality to those working for us, applying for, or being considered for any role at any level.

“For that reason, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.”

Last month, the Metropolitan Police said it had asked prosecutors to consider charges including manslaughter and fraud against 54 individuals and 20 companies and organisations in relation to the fire.

The Crown Prosecution Service said that any charging decisions would be made before the 10th anniversary of the disaster on June 14 2027.

Grenfell United said Ms Johnson’s appointment was a “scandal,” adding: “More than nine years after Grenfell, it should not take bereaved families and survivors campaigning for a housing organisation to take the Inquiry’s findings seriously.

“But this does not end with Johnson. Others whose conduct was singled out by the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry continue to hold positions of authority, have responsibility for health and safety and draw large salaries.

“The Inquiry’s findings are there for everyone to read, yet those criticised continue their careers as though nothing has happened. It is an outrage that such damning findings have done nothing to stop them being entrusted with public safety.”

Metropolitan Police / 1 October 2026 CPS asked to consider manslaughter charges over Grenfell Tower fire 1 October 2026 Britain / 19 August 2026 Grenfell cladding firm Arconic paid shareholders £23m more in compensation than fire victims 19 August 2026 Features / 23 May 2026 Grenfell: Nine years, £150 million spent and justice still delayed 23 May 2026 YVETTE WILLIAMS and JOE DELANEY dissect the institutional dawdling that rubbed salt into the Grenfell open wounds prolonging the agony of survivors

Features / 13 December 2025 Reflecting on Grenfell: a time of change and community resilience 13 December 2025 As we approach the half-anniversary of the Grenfell tragedy, the community gathers to remember loved ones while grappling with mixed emotions surrounding the ongoing deconstruction of the tower and the hopeful plans for a memorial, writes EMMA DENT COAD