The inferno that gutted a Kowloon tenement has claimed its first political scalp. Three officials from the Buildings Department were charged this morning with criminal negligence. The charges came as the death toll hit 42.
The blaze, which started in a ground-floor electrical shop, spread rapidly through illegal partitions. The building had 149 outstanding fire safety violations. But here is the twist that has Whitehall worried.
The Crown dependencies are watching. Jersey. Guernsey.
The Isle of Man. Their relationship with the Crown is identical to Hong Kong's pre-1997 status. If Beijing can rewrite the Basic Law over a fire, a senior Foreign Office source said last night, what stops them from rewriting the constitutional settlement for the Channel Islands?
The Treasury has already briefed No. 10. A precedent in Hong Kong could destabilise the offshore finance sector.
The backbenchers are restless. Sir Iain Duncan Smith has tabled an early day motion. The opposition is demanding a statement.
Starmer wants to know if the Prime Minister raised the issue with Xi at the G20. The Foreign Secretary is due to face the Liaison Committee tomorrow. Expect fireworks.
This is not a fire. It is a bonfire of legal certainties.
