This morning there are two main stories on BBC Radio London news that are very different, but are both worthy of some thought and reflection. The first is that it is the ninth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire. A terrible disaster caused by catastrophic criminal negligence. Yet no one has ever been prosecuted for this. It is almost impossible to take anything positive from the tragedy. It is a stain on our city, our country, our legal institutions and politicians. We've had Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer in No 10 Downing Street. Sadiq Khan has been the Mayor of London. All should be deeply ashamed of themselves. I have no doubt that if 72 politicians died as a result of such negligence, all of those responsible would have gone to prison. I can recall waking up to hear the news and seeing the smoke rise when I looked out of my bedroom window. As I took Thameslink into town and got relatively closer, it was clear what a big fire it was. I could glibly state that there were aspects of the community response that showed the best of us, but I genuinely think that we should be outraged at the whole thing and not search for mitigations and things to make us feel more comfortable with our communal failure.
The other big story is the World Cup. Scotland's first World Cup victory for 36 years. I have a confession to make. I've not seen more than 20 minutes football. I am a football nut and I love the World Cup, but for some reason I have not fallen in love with the tournament yet. The football authorities, as far as I am concerned, are corrupt and damaging to the sport. Football has always been the sport of the ordinary working people. All you need is a ball and a few mates and you can have a kick about. A few jumpers for posts. It has been a massive part of my life. I am a season ticket holder and a shareholder in Hadley FC, a local non league team. You could buy a season ticket for 20 years for the cost of an average seat at some of the games. I love the fact that it is open to all nations and races. BUt the exclusion of a referee on what looks very like racial grounds is sickening. If it wasn't for the fact that I genuinely get excited by watching football and love supporting England, I would probably not bother with it at all this time. I feel that by watching, I am somehow endorsing Donald Trump. Completely irrational, I know. But that is how I feel. I feel that FIFA have debased football.
Both issues, in their own way demonstrate the total contempt that those in power have for the rest of us. Like the mirror that shows us the spots and blemishes on our faces, Grenfell and the World Cup give us a stark reflection of how those in power hold us in contempt. Them and us has never been more starkly demonstrated. It is all rather depressing. I wish I could pick the bones of something good out of it all, but I simply cannot.
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