Some campaigns take a life time. Others yield quick results.<\/p>\n
I mentioned yesterday that I was one of the initial signatories to a letter demanding that KPMG cease<\/a> to be advisers to the Grenfell Tower inquiry because of their conflicts of interest. Last night, as the Guardian reports<\/a>, they resigned:<\/p>\n The Grenfell Tower inquiry has cancelled its contract with auditors\u00a0KPMG<\/a>\u00a0after concerns were raised over potential conflicts of interest.<\/p>\n A statement released on Sunday night said the decision was taken after concerns were raised by \u201ccore participants\u201d. 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.<\/p>\n More than 70 individuals and organisations, including MPs Clive Lewis and Emma Dent Coad, academics and campaigners, sent an open\u00a0letter<\/a>\u00a0to the prime minister calling on her to cancel the appointment of auditors KPMG to assist with the Grenfell Tower inquiry.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Third, it suggests that the idea that all expertise lies in such firms is a myth that needs to be challenged.<\/p>\n I welcome KPMG's resignation and applaud those who organised this letter.<\/p>\n I also now hope that the inquiry gets the advice it needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"