Laura Johnson, the former housing chief criticised for her role in budget-cutting decisions before the Grenfell Tower fire, has left her role at Barnet Homes after being appointed only in August.
Ms Johnson was director of housing at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea at the time of the 2017 fire, which killed 72 people. A public inquiry found she had pushed for a new contractor to carry out the tower’s renovation works on a lower budget, leading to combustible plastic-filled panels being installed instead of metal cladding.
Backlash over appointment
Almost a decade after the fire, Ms Johnson was appointed director of development and property at the Barnet Group, which manages some 14,000 council homes in the north London borough. The appointment drew criticism from bereaved families and survivors of the tragedy.
Barnet Homes has now confirmed Ms Johnson is “no longer employed by The Barnet Group”. The Standard has approached Ms Johnson for comment. Previously, Barnet Homes had said she was the “strongest candidate” for the £157,078 a year position.
Statement from Barnet Homes
In a statement to the BBC, the organisation said: “In common with any employer, we owe obligations of confidentiality to those working for us, applying for, or being considered for any role at any level. For that reason, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.”
Ms Johnson joined Barnet Homes in 2024 in a different role and was promoted to the senior position in September. Her departure comes weeks after the Metropolitan Police announced it had referred 54 individuals and 20 companies to the Crown Prosecution Service as part of its investigation into the fire. Kensington and Chelsea Council is among those referred for possible offences including corporate manslaughter and fire and health and safety breaches.
Reaction from Grenfell United
Grenfell United, a community group of bereaved families and survivors, described Johnson’s appointment as “a scandal”. A spokesperson said: “It is an outrage that such damning findings have done nothing to stop them being entrusted with public safety.”
The spokesperson added: “More than nine years after Grenfell, it should not take bereaved families and survivors campaigning for a housing organisation to take the Inquiry's findings seriously. This does not end with Johnson. Others whose conduct was singled out by the Grenfell Tower public inquiry continue to hold positions of authority, have responsibility for health and safety, and draw large salaries. The inquiry’s findings are there for everyone to read, yet those criticised continue their careers as though nothing has happened.”
Giving evidence at the public inquiry, Ms Johnson admitted she would have done things differently. “Of course, if only we had more due diligence in relation to the cladding that was placed on the tower. The list is endless because you would never want anything of this type of thing to happen. It's just awful. Of course I look back and think what could I have done different to make sure this didn't happen.”
