Former housing minister told QC this morning to 鈥榰se your time wisely鈥� as he had a 鈥檔umber of international guests coming in to see me鈥�
Former housing secretary Eric Pickles has complained about having to answer questions at the Grenfell Inquiry this morning because he had a 鈥渂usy day鈥� planned.
Pickles told counsel to the inquiry Richard Millett QC to 鈥渦se your time wisely鈥� because he had 鈥渃hanged my schedules to fit this [attending the inquiry] in鈥�.
The outburst came amid a series of tense exchanges at today鈥檚 hearing of the inquiry during which Pickles was asked about the government鈥檚 policies of deregulation in the years leading up to the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people in June 2017.
Pickles, who also gave evidence to the inquiry yesterday, was only scheduled to appear at the inquiry during today鈥檚 morning session but the hearing has now overrun into the afternoon.
Following a series of questions about an internal email at the department, an increasingly irritated Pickles told Millett: 鈥淐ould I respectfully remind you that you did promise that we would be away this morning and I have changed my schedules to fit this in, I do have an extremely busy day meeting people鈥ut I would urge you to use your time wisely.鈥�
A shaken Millett replied: 鈥淩ight鈥ay I please have an answer to my question鈥� to which Pickles said that he had already answered the question to 鈥渢he point of exhaustion鈥�.
Before pausing for the morning break, Pickles, who stood down as an MP in 2017 and is now the UK鈥檚 special envoy for post-Holocaust issues, told inquiry chair Martin Moore Bick that he had 鈥渁 number of international guests coming in to see me鈥� and asked to be informed if the session would be extended into the afternoon so he could 鈥渟tart cancelling鈥�.
Pickles later apologised for the comments.
Returning after the break, he said: 鈥淚鈥檇 like to apologise to you and particularly to Mr Millett for anywhere I seemed discourteous. As soon as I left the room I took the decision to cancel everything and this is more important than anything I鈥檓 doing.鈥�
Moore-Bick responded by saying he was 鈥渟orry that we鈥檙e going to interfere with your programme for the afternoon鈥�.
Pickles鈥� complaints were criticised on Twitter, with deputy London mayor for housing and residential development Tom Copley calling it a 鈥渏aw dropping display of arrogance and disdain鈥�.
Copley added: 鈥淥nly a thoroughly odious person would treat a public inquiry into the deaths of 72 people with such disrespect and contempt.鈥�
Pickles was secretary of state at the Department of Communities and Local government between 2010 and 2015, a period in which cutting red tape was encouraged.
The hearing was shown an email from a press officer proposing ideas for media coverage for Pickles, including the headlines 鈥淧ickles introduces new red tape test for department鈥� and 鈥�2 out, 1 in. Ministers increase efforts to cut bureaucracy鈥�.
The email, sent by Jane Houghton, described how all future policy at the department would be subject to 鈥渂ureaucracy busting鈥� tests to keep new regulation 鈥渢o a minimum鈥�.
At yesterday鈥檚 hearing, Pickles described claims made by his officials that deregulatory policies at the department had restricted efforts to toughen up fire safety guidance as 鈥渓udicrous鈥�.
But he also admitted that he had been in favour of cutting red tape, and that it was a 鈥済ood thing鈥� that officials were working in a policy environment where introducing new regulation was seen as a last resort.
