Survivors of the London tower block disaster that left at least 80 dead heckled the new leader of the local authority at a chaotic public meeting on Wednesday as she apologised for failures in dealing with the crisis.
“No ifs, no buts, no excuses. I am deeply sorry. We did not do enough to help you when you needed it most," said Elizabeth Campbell in a speech punctuated by booing and shouts from survivors.
Her predecessor as leader of Kensington and Chelsea council quit following complaints about shoddy work at the public housing block, an ineffective response to the disaster and attempts to prevent scrutiny of decision-making by officials.
Her own tenure began with accusations that she was out of touch with the people she represented after admitting in a radio interview that she had never been inside a high-rise tower block in the borough.
Ms Campbell said that the council would spend some of the £250 million it held in reserves on new housing for residents of the gutted Grenfell Tower, but her speech was greeted with hostility. Some people who were unable to get into the meeting banged on the council chamber doors.
Survivors who spoke after Ms Campbell criticised the council’s response to the tragedy. One told the meeting that he had been living in a hotel room with a double bed for him, his wife and three children since the tragedy. “I was forgotten about,” he said.
Labour councillor Judith Blakeman was particularly scathing, saying that “everyone in a position of authority ignored and dismissed Grenfell residents until it was too late.
“Councillor Campbell, you apologised for the council's response after the fire, you must apologise for behaviour before the fire. Survivors were far more eloquent than we can be, and do more justice to their plight than we can. Cabinet, [you must] rethink your position'
Fellow councillor Beinazir Lasharie gave a very personal take on events, saying “I saw the fire, my son doesn’t want to go home because on Friday night there was a second fire.”
The meeting was eventually suspended after a survivor of the fire fainted after giving evidence about her ordeal.
The British government has ordered a public inquiry into the disaster following complaints of substandard refurbishment work on the 24-storey building in one of Britain’s most wealthy boroughs.
It will examine the use of cladding on the outside of the block that caught alight and left victims unable to escape the burning building.
Schools, residential buildings and hospitals have all been refurbished used similar materials which have failed fire safety tests carried out since the blaze.
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
