KPMG quits Grenfell Tower inquiry

Posted on January 8 2018

Some campaigns take a life time. Others yield quick results.

I mentioned yesterday that I was one of the initial signatories to a letter demanding that KPMG cease to be advisers to the Grenfell Tower inquiry because of their conflicts of interest. Last night, as the Guardian reports, they resigned:

The Grenfell Tower inquiry has cancelled its contract with auditors KPMG after concerns were raised over potential conflicts of interest.

A statement released on Sunday night said the decision was taken after concerns were raised by “core participants”. The news came hours after the firm was accused of a conflict of interest over its role advising the Grenfell inquiry, although it insisted there was none.

More than 70 individuals and organisations, including MPs Clive Lewis and Emma Dent Coad, academics and campaigners, sent an open letter to the prime minister calling on her to cancel the appointment of auditors KPMG to assist with the Grenfell Tower inquiry.

This matters for three reasons. First, the Grenfell Tower inquiry deserved objective advice and it is not clear that it could get it from KPMG.

Second, it matters because it reveals that KPMG, and the other Big 4 firms, are too big to avoid being riddled with conflicts of interest.

Third, it suggests that the idea that all expertise lies in such firms is a myth that needs to be challenged.

I welcome KPMG's resignation and applaud those who organised this letter.

I also now hope that the inquiry gets the advice it needs.

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2 Responses

  1. Andy Crow says:
    January 8 2018 at 7:53 am

    Result.

    Excellent.

  2. alan dransfield says:
    January 9 2018 at 7:10 am

    If KPMG had not resigned would they have been sacked,I doubt it. Dame Judith Hackett claims the ROOT CAUSE of the Grenfell Tower Fire was a Fridge Fire.That is conjecture because the only way to determine ROOT cause is via an Interim Fire report, which has STILL not been done some 7 months post fire. She should not have released her report until the Interim Fire Report was published.
    The Integrity of the Building is STILL not known either. This is looking like a Hillsboro Deja vu. The books stops at the PM Desk and she should be sent to the tower.