Bereaved and survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire have said the inquiry’s final damning report shows they were “failed by calculated dishonesty and greed”.
Grenfell United, which represents some of the families, said Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s findings made it clear their lawyers were correct to tell the inquiry that corporate bodies, such as Kingspan, Celotex and Arconic, were “little better than crooks and killers”.
They criticised previous governments who they said “aided corporations, facilitating them to profit and dictate regulation” and called on some of the firms involved to be banned from government contracts.
Their statement also said that while the report is a “significant chapter” in the years since the fire, “justice has not been delivered” as they restated their call for police and prosecutors to “ensure that those who are truly responsible are held to account and brought to justice”.
It comes as around 70 firefighters tackled a blaze at two flats on the ninth and 10th floors of a tower block in south-east London.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said received more than 50 calls to the fire in Catford, as images on social media showed flames and smoke billowing from the building.
The LFB said the fire was under control as of around 2.15pm and there were no reports of any injuries.
Key Points
- ‘Systematic dishonesty' of construction industry fuelled tragedy
- Decades of failures from governments, local councils and the emergency services
- Decisions on criminal prosecutions not expected until 2026
- Inquiry chairman says all 72 deaths were avoidable
- Final report published seven years after fire
Where the Grenfell Tower victims were found
16:38
Jabed Ahmed
Pictured: Aftermath of blaze at a tower block in Catford, south-east London
16:19
Jabed Ahmed
The tragic stories behind the night Grenfell Tower fire claimed 72 victims
16:01
Jabed Ahmed
My colleague Sam Webb has the full report:
Watch: Prime minister pledges to take action after damning final Grenfell report
15:52
Jabed Ahmed
Met chief ‘cannot imagine’ how Grenfell families feel over lengthy police probe
15:41
Jabed Ahmed
A senior Metropolitan Police officer has said he “cannot imagine” how it feels for families and victims to wait for the outcome of a police investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire.
Those affected by the disaster face a wait of another year to 18 months from the report’s publication before they find out whether any criminal charges will be brought over the tragedy.
Speaking outside Scotland Yard on Wednesday, Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said he “cannot imagine” the impact of such a long wait.
“I cannot imagine the impact of such a long criminal investigation and public inquiry, and what that impact is on those that are so deeply affected,” he said.
“But I’ve spoken to many of them at different times over the last seven years, they have my personal commitment, the commitment of the Met Police, that we will do everything that we can to secure justice for those who died.”
Full report: 70 firefighters tackle blaze in Catford high rise on day Grenfell report released
15:31
Jabed Ahmed
My colleague Alex Croft reports:
Grenfell Tower fire inquiry: What are the key findings of the report?
15:21
Jabed Ahmed
Pictured: Members of a support group for the next of kin and families hold press conference
15:11
Jabed Ahmed
Man who lost sister in Grenfell blaze says justice is owed to him
15:01
Jabed Ahmed
A man whose sister was killed in the Grenfell Tower tragedy has said the inquiry has delayed the justice owed to him and other bereaved families.
“No one has asked me if I wanted this inquiry”, Karim Khalloufi, whose sister Khadija was among the 72 who died, told a press conference in central London.
“Maybe I will die without having justice,” he added at the briefing given by members of a support group for the next of kin of some the 72 people killed in the tower block blaze in 2017.
Another victim’s relative told the event at the Royal Lancaster London hotel he wanted manslaughter charges to be brought, adding “nothing else will do”.
The Crown Prosecution Service has said decisions on potential criminal prosecutions are not expected for another two years.
Watch: Angry families say justice has not been done after damning report
14:53
Jabed Ahmed
‘We must all acknowledge the part we played’: Ex-PM Theresa May leads political apologies for Grenfell
14:42
Jabed Ahmed
The Independent’s Political Editor David Maddox reports:
Watch: Firefighters tackle blaze at Catford tower block on same day Grenfell report published
14:40
Jabed Ahmed
Man who lost six family members in Grenfell voices his fury at the inquiry
14:34
Jabed Ahmed
Hisam Choucair, who lost six family members in the Grenfell Fire disaster, said watching witnesses “laugh” while giving evidence during the inquiry “burns me inside”.
Mr Choucair thanked the Grenfell Inquiry for its findings but said it had prevented prosecutions from being brought.
“This inquiry was forced on us,” he said at a briefing given by members of a support group for the next of kin in central London.
“It’s delayed the justice my family deserves.”
Metropolitan police spearheading separate criminal inquiry into the blaze
14:32
Jabed Ahmed
Earlier this year, the Metropolitan Police gave an update on the separate criminal inquiry that is taking place following the blaze that killed 72 people.
Grenfell survivors could be waiting until 2027 for justice.
Read the full report below:
Grenfell Tower survivor criticises ‘seven-year delay to justice’
14:28
Jabed Ahmed
Grenfell Tower survivor Francis Dean has criticised what he called the “seven-year delay to justice” as he and others wait for criminal prosecutions to be brought.
“Since that night I’ve not been the same person, I’m messed up,” he said at a briefing given by members of a support group for the next of kin in central London.
“The government at the time promised us justice. I hope this current Government can take up the lead.”
Angela Rayner promises government will work ‘tirelessly’ to deliver change
14:26
Jabed Ahmed
Angela Rayner promised to “work tirelessly” to “deliver a stronger culture of safety” following the publication of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s final report.
The Deputy Prime Minister, who also serves as Housing Secretary, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter: “We remember the 72 innocent lives lost in the Grenfell Tower tragedy. My thoughts are with the bereaved families, the survivors and residents in the immediate community.
“As Keir Starmer said, on behalf of the British state we apologise to each and every one of them.
“The Grenfell community has campaigned tirelessly to push for justice & change.
“My promise to them is to work tirelessly, with urgency & care, to deliver a stronger culture of safety across the system from top to bottom.”
MP for Kensington and Bayswater says deaths in his constituency were due to ‘profit before people’s lives’
14:17
Jabed Ahmed
Joe Powell, the Labour MP for Kensington and Bayswater, said deaths at Grenfell Tower in his constituency were the result of individuals and organisations that were “systematically dishonest and put profit before people’s lives”.
He told MPs: “This is a very painful day for the community. Prime Minister, the shameless merry-go-round of buck-passing that has happened for the last seven years since Grenfell must now come to an end.
“So I want to thank you for your personal commitment to drive the lasting change and to hold people accountable.”
He added: “Can (the Prime Minister) commit to ensuring that companies identified in this report will be excluded from public contracts, held account to the full extent of the law and pay their full weight of financial remediation for the building safety remedial work that is needed?”
Sir Keir Starmer responded: “I can confirm that we will do everything to make sure there is full accountability, including criminal accountability where appropriate.
“I do remind the House that notwithstanding the strong findings in the report, it is the last thing now that the victims, bereaved and the community want or need is for anything to go wrong with possible legal proceedings, so we must all bear that in mind, but I absolutely understand the sentiment, and in relation to the contracts, I stand by what I said in my statement.”
How the Grenfell Tower fire spread
14:08
Jabed Ahmed
Muslim survivors denied halal food while being rehoused, inquiry finds
13:59
Jabed Ahmed
Muslim survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire were badly failed by the local council and denied their right to halal food while being temporarily rehoused at hotels, the inquiry has revealed.
It concluded that Kensington and Chelsea Council should have done moreto cater to people from diverse backgrounds. Many of those who lived in the tower had been observing Ramadan, but halal food was not available at all hotels, nor was it possible to observe the requirement to eat at set times.
The Independent’s Race Correspondent Nadine White reports:
Breaking: 70 firefighters tackle blaze in high rise in Catford on day Grenfell report released
13:58
Jabed Ahmed
Around 70 firefighters are tackling a blaze at two flats on the ninth and 10th floors of a tower block in Catford, south-east London, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.
An LFB statement said: “Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters are tackling a fire at a block of flats on Rosenthal Road in Catford.
“Two flats on the ninth and 10th floors of the building are currently alight.
“The brigade’s 999 control officers have taken almost 50 calls to the blaze.
“The brigade was called at 12.51pm. Fire crews from Forest Hill, Greenwich, Deptford, Lee Green and surrounding fire stations are at the scene.
“The cause of the fire is not known at this time.”
Watch: Grenfell inquiry panel member cries reading out damning report on 2017 fire
13:49
Jabed Ahmed
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey calls for new laws in light of findings
13:40
Jabed Ahmed
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey called for legislation on a duty of candour for public officials to be brought forward in light of the findings in the Grenfell Tower report.
He said: “We must tackle the big, systemic issues that come up time and again in scandals like this, from Hillsborough to Horizon to infected blood.
“Like other scandal victims, the bereaved and survivors of Grenfell have called for a duty of candour on public officials, and we welcomed its inclusion in the King’s Speech.
“So can the Prime Minister tell us when that legislation will be published and whether the duty will cover all public officials?”
Sir Keir Starmer replied in the Commons: “This duty of candour is very, very important, and we’ll look again at it in light of this report, but we’re determined to bring forward that legislation as quickly as we can.
“It’s long overdue, but I do think, having looked at some of the report already, that it’s worth reflecting and making sure what’s in the report is incorporated into whatever law that we do bring forward.”
Keir Starmer’s emotional response as he reveals he made a private visit to Grenfell two weeks ago
13:31
Athena Stavrou
The PM told MPs that two weeks ago he made a private visit to Grenfell Tower, where he laid a wreath and affirmed the government’s commitment to deliver a permanent memorial on the site through a process led by the Grenfell community.
He also spoke movingly of how he felt while there. He said: “As I walked down that narrow staircase from the 23rd floor and looked at walls burned by 1000-degree heat, I got just a sense of how utterly, utterly terrifying it must have been. And as I saw examples of the cladding on the outside of the building, and listened to descriptions of the catastrophic and completely avoidable failures of that fatal refurbishment, I felt just a sense of the anger that now rises through that building.
“And it left me a with a profound and very personal determination to make the legacy of Grenfell Tower…one of the defining changes to our country that I want to make as Prime Minister.”
Grenfell Tower victims: where they were found
13:29
Athena Stavrou
Rishi Sunak apologises to Grenfell Tower victims
13:28
Athena Stavrou
The Grenfell Inquiry report is “a damning indictment of over 30 years of successive state failures”, former prime minister Rishi Sunak told the House of Commons.
Responding to Sir Keir Starmer’s statement on the 2017 residential tower block fire in west London and inquiry report, Mr Sunak said: “Whilst the Grenfell community’s loss will have left a hole nothing will ever be able to fill, I hope that whatever healing is possible from today, that each and every one of them takes some small measure of it.
“I know they will never forget the 72 people who tragically lost their lives, and nor shall we.
“Today’s publication, as the Prime Minister said, is to put it bluntly, a damning indictment of over 30 years of successive state failures, stretching as far back as Knowsley Heights in 1991 and then multiple incidents from there.
“Sir Martin Moore-Bick and the work of the inquiry have painted a picture of systemic indifference, failure and in some notable cases, dishonesty and greed.”
Black Lives Matter UK respond to final Grenfell report
13:17
Athena Stavrou
Black Lives Matter UK have said the failure to deliver justice following the Grenfell Tower fire “is nothing short of a tragedy”.
“The treatment of the victims of Grenfell, their families, and the wider impacted community has been shameful,” they told The Independent’s Race Correspondent Nadine White, responding to the publication of the final report on the fire which killed 72 people.
“The report confirms what we already know—that we live in a society where a hierarchy of human worth is premised upon the colour of your skin, and where ease in accessing basic social goods such as decent housing is determined by your class and race.
“The fire was a horrific tragedy that will forever be etched into the minds of migrant communities in Britain. It symbolises exploitation, institutional racism and state abandonment.
“The lack of support, the mistreatment of victims, and the failure to deliver justice is nothing short of a travesty. Corporations that cut corners and the authorities that abandoned their responsibilities must not be allowed to evade accountability.”
Grenfell tragedy ‘marred at every point by structural and direct racism'
13:11
Athena Stavrou
The Independent’s Race Correspondent Nadine White reports:
The UK’s leading independent race equality think tank has said the Grenfell Tower tragedy was “preventable” and “marred at every point by structural and direct racism”.
Dr Shabna Begum, CEO of the Runnymede Trust told The Independent: “The Grenfell fire was a preventable tragedy, marred at every point by structural and direct racism - from those who were killed, to the treatment of survivors, the bereaved, and the wider community, as the latest report from the Inquiry confirms.
“Seven years since, there is still no justice for the victims and thousands of unsafe buildings still stand across the country. Unless urgent and sufficient action is taken, it is a matter of time until a tragedy of the same scale will happen again.
“In March 2023, Mizanur Rahman died after a fire tore through the two-bedroom flat he shared with at least 17 other men. And in December 2020, two-year-old Awaab Ishak died of respiratory failure caused by the black mould in his home.
“People of colour are feeling the harshest impacts of the housing crisis, disproportionately live in unsafe and unsuitable homes, and are often funnelled into the poorest quality and least desirable social housing. As a bare minimum, everyone should have access to safe, suitable, affordable housing.”
Community won’t let fight for justice ‘rumble on like Hillsborough’, Grenfell United chair says
13:05
Athena Stavrou
The Independent’s Andy Gregory reports from Dorland House:
Asked about the prospect of criminal charges, Natasha Elcock, chair of Grenfell United, told The Independent: “Our fate will always be in someone else’s hands and it has been for the last seven years.
“So the most we can hope for at this point today is that the report and the government bring about systematic change. The Met Police and the CPS have explained that they need the report to cross-reference and ensure that they’ve got what they need in order to bring prosecutions. For us, that is the ultimate justice.”
Ms Elcock added: “I think we were under no illusions from as early as 2018 that this was going to be a 10 year process, but what we won’t allow to happen as a community is this to rumble on like Hillsborough and other injustices that we’ve seen in this country.
“So the message really to the Met is: ‘We are relying on you to ensure that the investigation is thorough and that every single person that is culpable for the deaths of our loved ones is held to account.’”
Pictured: Survivors and bereaved comfort each other after report publication
13:03
Athena Stavrou
Companies involved in Grenfell to be stopped from getting government contracts, PM suggests
12:52
Athena Stavrou
Sir Keir Starmer has suggested all companies found to have been involved in the Grenfell Tower tragedy will be stopped from getting future government contracts.
Following the publication of the final report, the prime minister told MPs in parliament the government “will today write to all companies found to have failings as a first step to stop them being awarded government contracts”.
Earlier, Grenfell United, which represents some of the bereaved and survivors of the fire, have called the government to ban cladding firm Arconic and insulation firms Kingspan and Celotex from government procurement processes.
Sir Keir also said the removal of dangerous cladding is being addressed too slowly – and pledged that government will speed it up.
Starmer giving statement on Grenfell report
12:44
Athena Stavrou
Sir Keir Starmer is giving a statement in parliament following the publication of the final report on the Grenfell Inquiry.
“I want to say very clearly on behalf of the country – you have been let down so badly, before during and in the aftermath of this tragedy,” he said, apologising on behalf of the British state to all of the families affected.
He told MPs that “today is a day of truth that must now lead to a day of justice”.
Theresa May, PM at time of Grenfell tragedy, says all must ‘acknowledge their part in the history’
12:37
Athena Stavrou
Theresa May, who was prime minister at the time of the Grenfell Tower disaster in 2017, has said all involved “must all acknowledge their part in the history and series of events that led to this tragedy”.
May has been criticised for her response to the fire, which claimed the lives of 72 people, as she failed to meet survivors on a visit to the site on the day after the fire. She has since expressed regret over this decision.
“Government, national and local, regulators and the corporate industry must all acknowledge their part in the history and series of events that led to this tragedy – a tragedy that, in the words of Sir Martin, did not ‘come out of the blue’,” she said in a statement.
Survivor says report ‘pointing in right direction'
12:34
Athena Stavrou
The Independent’s Holly Evans reports from Dorland House:
Speaking to The Independent, survivor Tiago Alves said that the report was “pointing in the right direction”, and said this was a step closer for Grenfell residents and families to achieve criminal justice.
He had been on the 13th floor when the fire broke out, and survived after his father insisted they evacuate the building, despite the stay put policy being in place.
“It’s been a long time to wait for the report to come out, I’ve had the opportunity to read some of it.,” he said. “The biggest takeaways from the panel is that they did follow the evidence very well, I think a lot of it is pointing in the right direction.
“The recommendations, we agree with most of them. The push to remove the regulator from being a private entity outside is a good step forward, we have always been calling for a national oversight mechanism. I hope these changes get implemented quite quickly by the government.
“Also, I think it goes hard on RBKC and the TMO as well as the other corporations. I think it paints a good picture of what the problems were leading up to the fire and also what happened after the fire and their response.
“At the end of the day, we need to remember that all of these problems could have been avoided, Kingspan, Celotex and Arconic led the way in allowing these kinds of materials to be put on buildings so I think the report really goes hard on them.
“It makes sure that we understand they are fully responsible and criminal prosecutions need to come later in the future. Hopefully when the CPS and the police have collated all of this information, we will be able to move forward and for us to get the criminal justice we need.”
Dishonesty of construction industry fuelled tragedy
12:27
Athena Stavrou
Grenfell Tower was covered in flammable materials because of “systematic dishonesty” from those who made and sold cladding and insulation, the final report has concluded.
The inquiry found there had been a “deliberate and sustained” manipulation of fire-safety testing and data by a number of companies such as Arcon and insulation firms Kingspan and Celotex.
Arconic Architectural Products made and sold the Reynobond 55 cladding panels with a polyethylene (PE) core which were used in the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower and were later found to have fuelled the blaze.
By summer 2011, Arconic was “well aware that Reynobond 55 PE cassette form performed much worse in a fire and was considerably more dangerous than in riveted form” but was “determined to exploit what it saw as weak regulatory regimes in certain countries (including the UK) to sell it in cassette form “including for use on residential buildings”.
Celotex was the manufacturer of the majority of the insulation boards used in the refurbishment. Its Rs5000 was one of the insulation components used in the Grenfell Tower rainscreen cladding system and its TB4000 insulation was used to fill gaps in the window surrounds during the refurbishment of the tower.
The inquiry’s final report concluded that it had “embarked on a dishonest scheme to mislead its customers and the wider market” in an attempt to break into a market which had been dominated by Kingspan.
Kingspan has long said its K15 insulation product made up 5% of the insulation in the tower block and was used without its knowledge. But the report found that Kingspan “knowingly created a “false market in insulation” from 2005 onwards for use on buildings over 18 metres tall by claiming its K15 product had been part of a system that had been successfully tested under the BS 8414 cladding fire safety test, meaning it could be used in the wall of any building of that height regardless of its design or other components.
Rydon was appointed in 2014 as the design and build contractor for the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower. Along with architect Studio E it was deemed to have taken “a casual approach to contractual relations”.
Watch: Architect on Grenfell inquiry panel cries reading out damning final report
12:20
Athena Stavrou
Starmer opens PMQs with tribute to Grenfell
12:16
Athena Stavrou
Sir Keir Starmer opened Prime Minister’s Questions with a tribute to the bereaved and survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire.
At the despatch box, the Prime Minister said: “The chair of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, has today published the inquiry’s phase two report.
“And I know that the whole House – the thoughts of the House – will be with the bereaved and the survivors of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, and the residents in the immediate community.”
Sir Keir said he would make a statement in the House of Commons after PMQs.
Full story: Grenfell Tower fire was result of decades of institutional failings, damning final report finds
12:14
Athena Stavrou
The tragic fire at Grenfell Tower that claimed the lives of 72 people was the culmination of decades of failure by successive governments and the construction industry, the damning final report has found.
The west London tower block was covered in combustible products because of the “systematic dishonesty” of firms who made and sold the cladding and insulation, inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said on Wednesday. He called out “deliberate and sustained” manipulation of fire-safety testing, misrepresentation of test data and misleading of the market.
The long-running inquiry into how the west London tower block became rapidly engulfed in flames found that manufacturers had engaged in “systematic dishonesty” which led the 24-storey building to be clad in combustible materials.
Read the full story from The Independent’s Holly Evans here:
Grenfell survivors speak at conclusion of report
12:09
Athena Stavrou
The Independent’s Holly Evans reports from Dorland House:
Speaking outside Dorland House in west London, Natasha Elcock, the chairman for the Grenfell United group, has issued a damning statement responding to the report’s findings.
She says today has been the conclusion of a painful process, which speaks to a lack of competence, understanding and a “fundamental failure of the most basic duties of care”. She points to the inquiry’s finding that every death was “avoidable” and that the bereaved had lost their loved ones in “the most horrific way”.
The group also blames the “greed of an industry” that has been badly regulated by successive governments, which she says were warned about the risks of dangerous cladding as far back as 1991.
She urged Sir Keir Starmer to “break the bad habits” and called on the CPS and the Metropolitan Police to deliver justice.
Bereaved families pay tribute to lost loved ones
11:55
Athena Stavrou
The survivors and bereaved families of the Grenfell Tower fire have given a statement following the publication of the final report.
A spokesperson told reporters in Paddington: “Today marks the conclusion of a painful six years listening to the evidence of the deaths of 54 adults and 18 children, our loved ones, neighbours and friends.”
The group, Grenfell United, have called the government to ban Cladding firm Arconic and insulation firms Kingspan and Celotex and Rydon from central or local government procurement processes.
They added that they “have an expectation that the Met Police and the CPS ensure that those who are truly responsible are held to account and brought to justice.”
Grenfell survivors and bereaved families giving statement
11:52
Athena Stavrou
Inquiry chair ends statement with names of 72 who lost their lives
11:45
Athena Stavrou
Closing his statement, the chair of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Sir Martin Moore-Bick read out the names of the 72 people who lost their lives, saying: “We should all remember that the Grenfell Tower was and remains an intensely personal tragedy for all those who lived in and around the tower, and above all, for those who died their families and friends. We invite you therefore to join us in remembering them while I read out their names.”
Decisions on criminal prosecutions not expected until 2026
11:41
Athena Stavrou
Decisions on potential criminal prosecutions over the Grenfell Tower fire are not expected for another two years, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said.
Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS special crime and counter-terrorism division, said: “Our thoughts remain with the bereaved families and the survivors at what must be an extremely difficult time.
“We have been working closely with the Metropolitan Police Service throughout their investigation and will therefore be in a strong position to review the completed evidential file, which they anticipate will be passed to us in 2026.
“Our team of specialist prosecutors will then carefully review the file but do not expect to be in a position to make any charging decisions until the end of 2026.
“Due to the sheer volume of evidence and complexity of the investigation, we will need to take the necessary time to thoroughly evaluate the evidence before providing final charging decisions.”
Inquiry chair says council ‘manipulated process’ to choose architect with ‘no experience’ of high-rise cladding
11:37
Athena Stavrou
The Grengell inquiry’s chairman has said that the council’s tenant management organisation (TMO) had manipulated the process of choosing an architect for the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower, in order to choose Studio E.
Sir Martin said the firm had “no experience” of installing cladding on high-rise buildings, and that everyone involved had an “unacceptably casual approach to contractual relations”.
No employees working on the project understood the industry guidance or building regulations, and a final safety report was not procured.
Appalling treatment of Muslim Grenfell survivors a ‘stark reminder’ of ‘the way the most vulnerable in our society are treated’
11:32
Athena Stavrou
The final report of the Grenfell inquiry has highlighted the appalling treatment of Muslim residents in the aftermath of the fatal blaze.
The report found the response of the government and local council was “muddled, slow, indecisive and piecemeal”, with little done to cater to people from diverse backgrounds, such as providing halal food for Muslims observing Ramadan.
Zara Mohammed, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, told The Independent: “It is deeply troubling to learn that many Grenfell Tower residents observing Ramadan were not provided with adequate support in all hotels, provision for halal food was lacking nor given the opportunity to eat at the set times required for fasting.
“The treatment of minority and faith communities by the council highlights wider structural and systemic issues that must be tackled.
“Grenfell remains a stark reminder and trauma for so many, not just the fire but for the way the most vulnerable in our society are treated.
“Much must be learned now, and for those who have been waiting for justice, meaningful change is essential.”
Sadiq Khan says Grenfell residents ‘paid a price for systemic dishonesty and corporate greed’
11:23
Athena Stavrou
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the residents of Grenfell Tower “paid a price for systemic dishonesty, corporate greed and institutional indifference and neglect”.
He said firms held responsible by the inquiry should be banned from receiving public contracts, and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) should look into bringing criminal cases.
Mr Khan said: “The Grenfell Tower fire isn’t just a heart-breaking tragedy, it’s a horrific injustice and a national disgrace. That the lives of 72 Londoners were stolen from us in such circumstances is a moral outrage.
“The inquiry makes clear in stark terms that all these deaths were entirely avoidable, and that the residents of Grenfell Tower have paid the price for systematic dishonesty, corporate greed and institutional indifference and neglect.”
He said “profit has been put before people” which “isn’t just shameful, it’s utterly indefensible”.
Mr Khan added that “more must now be done to hold those responsible to account, including banning any of the companies held responsible by the inquiry from receiving any public contracts as the police and CPS look into bringing criminal prosecutions”.