The Celotex Affair

It sounds like a corporate thriller. A young man joins this company. He senses that there’s something suspicious about the product, but he’s not encouraged to raise questions and nobody else seems bothered. But they are. One woman reads a draft for misleading publicity, and writes WTF? in the margin. Another colleague wants to send an e-mail to customers, suggesting that they don’t use the product until there’s been time to evaluate it properly - but head office talk him out of that. And above all three is the same boss, who shares none of these misgivings, and can’t remember that they’ve been raised at any point.

Just business skullduggery as usual, you might think, but this was one of the firms supply cladding to Grenfell Tower, and as a result of the corners they cut 72 people died. It’s not being covered as thoroughly as it might, but the Grenfell enquiry is rivetting. If you want to give it time, check out The Grenfell Enquiry podcast on BBC sounds - currently at 136 episodes, and counting.