Trade union Unite, which is supporting 65 participants at the Grenfell Inquiry has written to an expert appointed to advise the inquiry by prime minister Boris Johnson, urging her to step down because of a conflict of interest.

Earlier this month it emerged that engineer Benita Mehra, led an organisation that had links to Arconic, the firm that supplied the flammable cladding which was fixed to the exterior of Grenfell Tower.

The inquiry has found that Arconic’s polyethelyne-filled panels were “the principal reason why the flames spread so rapidly up the building”.

The company will come under considerable scrutiny during phase two of the inquiry which will begin on Monday (January 27).

Mehra was president of the Women’s Engineering Society from 2015 to 2018.

During her tenure the society accepted a £71,000 grant from the Arconic Foundation, the charitable arm of Arconic.

Unite has said that if Mehra does not voluntarily withdraw from the inquiry, then it will directly challenge her participation when the inquiry resumes and will also consider other avenues to challenge her involvement.
 
In Unite’s letter to Mehra, a number of the core participants, who are principally bereaved family members of loved ones who died or are survivors of the fire, gave their personal reasons why they believe she is unfit to act as an advisor.
 
One relative wrote: “I strongly disagree with her sitting on the panel and I personally, and many survivors and bereaved families, believe the inquiry should not start while she is appointed.”

Another wrote: “The appointment of Ms Mehra to the panel is not right. She has a clear conflict of interest. If Ms Mehra remains, the inquiry would no longer be legitimate. I would have no confidence in the inquiry or its process. If she does not stand down or is not removed I will consider boycotting the inquiry.”
 
Unite assistant general secretary for legal services Howard Beckett, said:“Benita Mehra has a clear conflict of interest and she should play no role in the inquiry.

“Benita Mehra’s claim that there is no conflict of interest is simply not plausible.
 
“If she will not voluntarily stand down, then Unite, on behalf of the people we are representing who survived the fire or who lost loved ones in the tragedy, will examine all measures to ensure that Benita Mehra is forced to withdraw,
 
“If Benita Mehra is allowed to continue as an adviser any findings or recommendations made by the inquiry will forever be tainted.”