Sir Keir Starmer has said that the publication of the final Grenfell Tower fire report“must lead to justice”, as he takes the first steps to stop companies involved from being awarded government contracts.
Survivors and bereaved families of the tragedy - which claimed the lives of 72 people - have called for justice after the inquiry highlighted “dishonesty and greed” of corporate cladding firms, leading to the 24-storey building to be clad in combustible materials.
Grenfell United, which represents some of the bereaved and survivors, has urged the government to ban cladding firm Arconic and insulation firms Kingspan and Celotex from government procurement processes.
Speaking to MPs in parliament on Wednesday, the prime minister said it is “imperative that there is full accountability, including through the criminal justice process, and that this happens as swiftly as possible.
“So I can tell the House today that this Government will write to all companies found by the inquiry to be part of these horrific failings as the first step to stopping them being awarded Government contracts.”
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
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”.
Fire Brigades Union calls for government to go further than report recommendations
11:21
Athena Stavrou
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) called for the Government to go further than the recommendations in the Grenfell Tower report, ensuring deregulation is “comprehensively reversed”.
General secretary Matt Wrack said: “The FBU has always argued that the fire was the result of decades of failure by central government to regulate the building industry – the prioritisation of private profit over human life.
“This report completely vindicates that position, demonstrating beyond doubt that an agenda of deregulation cost lives.
“Construction companies gamed the system to maximise their profits. A system of semi-privatised building control put commercial interests ahead of regulatory duties.
“Firefighters and fire control staff were put in an impossible position, forced to respond to a fire in a high rise building effectively wrapped in petrol. Again and again, residents and firefighters warned of the dangers of combustible cladding but were ignored.
“The FBU is still digesting the report’s recommendations, but the government must go further than what is set out in this report.
“The deregulation of recent decades must be comprehensively reversed. The systems for delivering building safety must be brought under public ownership and must be given the resources they need.”
London Fire Brigade responds to Grenfell report
11:19
Athena Stavrou
The London Fire Brigade has responded to the final report of the Grenfell inquiry, which found the service ‘failed to heed warnings of high-rise fire before Grenfell’.
London Fire Brigade said it was now “better prepared” to respond to high-rise fires but would not be “complacent”.
Commissioner Andy Roe said: “On this day, our thoughts remain with the 72 people who lost their lives, the survivors, their families, and the entire Grenfell community. We must never forget the impact the tragedy has had on that community.
“On the night of the fire, the brigade faced the most formidable challenge that any fire service in the UK has confronted in living memory. Staff responding to the fire on the night of the tragedy, as well as members of other emergency services who attended in support of the brigade, showed extreme courage in the face of the most appalling of circumstances.
“In 2019, the brigade accepted every recommendation from the Phase 1 Report and we have since implemented significant changes to how we operate. This year, we completed every recommendation directed at us as part of Phase 1.
“We have introduced important policies, new equipment, improved training and better ways of working, particularly in how we respond to fires in high-rise residential buildings, and Londoners are safer as a result. This was evidenced at the awful fire in Dagenham late last month.
“While we are now better prepared to respond to high-rise fires, we are not complacent. We are in dialogue with the Government and Mayor of London as we all look at what must be done to ensure that buildings in London are safe. We will continue to collaborate with them, advocating for improved standards in the built environment to ensure greater safety.
“We recognise the importance of the inquiry’s findings and recommendations. We will set out an action plan, detailing our response to each recommendation, in due course. This will be developed following consultation and in collaboration with the Grenfell community and our Community Forum.”
Starmer says government will ‘carefully consider’ report recommendations
11:14
Athena Stavrou
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the report from Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s Grenfell Tower inquiry identified “substantial and widespread failings”.
He said: “My thoughts today are wholly with those bereaved by, and survivors of, the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the residents in the immediate community. This day is for them.
“I hope that Sir Martin’s report can provide the truth they have sought for so long, and that it is step towards the accountability and justice they deserve.”
In a statement to Parliament, Sir Keir said: “The Government will carefully consider the report and its recommendations, to ensure that such a tragedy cannot occur again.
“I hope that those outside Government will do the same.
“Given the detailed and extensive nature of the report, a further and more in-depth debate will be held at a later date,” he added.
Inquiry chairman says all 72 deaths were avoidable
11:13
Athena Stavrou
Sir Martin Moore-Bick, the chairman of the Grenfell inquiry, is giving a statement following the release of the final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
The former judge said all 72 deaths in the fire were avoidable and the people who lived in the west London tower were “badly failed” by authorities and the construction industry through incompetence, dishonesty and greed.
He said: “The simple truth is that the deaths that occurred were all avoidable and that those who lived in the tower were badly failed over a number of years and in a number of different ways by those who were responsible for ensuring the safety of the building and its occupants.”
He listed a number of bodies involved in the running of Grenfell, which included the Government, the tenant management organisation, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the manufacturers of the refurbishment, the London Fire Brigade, the architect, Studio E and the principal contractor, Rydon Maintenance Ltd, among others.
Key findings of the 1,700 page report
11:05
Athena Stavrou
• Successive governments under David Cameron and Theresa May had received numerous warnings about the dangers of certain cladding materials between 2012 and 2017 but had failed to take heed.
• Survivors felt they had been “comprehensively failed” by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council and their Tenant Management Organisation.
• Emergency accommodation plans were “inconsistent”, with families crammed into one room and residents left sleeping in cars or on the grass.
• 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.
• There had been a “persistent indifference” to fire safety at Grenfell Tower with no finalised evacuation plan.
Final report finds successive governments ignored cladding warnings
11:02
Athena Stavrou
The long-awaited report into the tragic blaze that engulfed Grenfell Tower, claiming the lives of 72 people, has found successive governments ignored warnings about the building’s flammable cladding.
The damning report, which comes seven years after the 2017 disaster, has shone light on the failings of the government, manufacturers and the council.
The inquiry into how the blaze spread so rapidly through the west London tower block has concluded successive governments under David Cameron and Theresa May had received “numerous warnings” about the dangers of certain cladding materials between 2012 and 2017 but had failed to take heed.
Report to shine light on actions of corporate firms
10:37
Athena Stavrou
The long-awaited final report into the deaths of 72 people in a fire at Grenfell Tower is due to be published at 11am - more than seven years after the blaze.
The document is expected to lay out in detail its findings around the actions of corporate firms in the construction industry, the local authority, London Fire Brigade and government.
A report in 2019, from the first phase of the inquiry, concluded the tower’s cladding did not comply with building regulations and was the “principal” reason for the rapid and “profoundly shocking” spread of the blaze.
A total of 58 individuals and 19 companies and organisations are under investigation for potential criminal offences, and more than 300 hours of interviews have taken place.
Potential offences under consideration include corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, perverting the course of justice, misconduct in public office, health and safety offences, fraud and offences under the fire safety and building regulations.
Who are the core participants in the Grenfell Inquiry?
10:06
Holly Evans
A “spider’s web of blame” was spun as organisations sought to point to others as being at fault over the 2017 fire, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry heard.
Lead counsel Richard Millett KC described how a “merry−go−round of buck−passing” had prevailed throughout the hearings.
They include the manufacturing companies Kingspan, whose K15 insulation product made up 5 per cent of the insulation in the tower block, and Celotex, the manufacturer of the majority of the insulation boards used in the refurbishment.
Arconic supplied the Reynobond 55 cladding panels, which the phase one report in 2019 concluded had fuelled the blaze, while the design and build contractor Rydon had been responsible for the refurbishment.
Chairman of the Grenfell inquiry arrives ahead of statement
09:46
Holly Evans
Sir Martin Moore-Bick, the chairman of the Grenfell inquiry, has arrived at Dorland House in Paddington, central London, ahead of the final inquiry report publication.
The former judge is due to give a statement following the release of the report at 11am, followed by statements from survivors and family members of the deceased.
Also involved in the report were the panel members Thouria Istephan, an architect and health and safety expert, and Ali Akbor, an expert in the housing sector.
Tower blocks around country still at risk of Grenfell-style tragedy, says firefighters’ union chief
09:24
Holly Evans
Seven years after the Grenfell Tower disaster claimed the lives of 72 people, the country risks witnessing a similar tragedy, the head of the firefighters’ union has warned.
With the final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry set to be published on 4 September, Fire Brigades Union (FBU) chief Matt Wrack has expressed deep concern over the lack of progress in addressing fire safety and building regulations.
He criticised the government, claiming it has failed to address the ongoing cladding crisis and implement substantial fire safety reforms.
Read the full article here:
Survivors and families may have to wait until 2026 for any criminal charges
09:08
Holly Evans
In May, the Metropolitan Police said their investigators need until the end of 2025 to finalise their inquiry, and prosecutors will then need a year to decide whether charges can be brought.
Bereaved and survivors have described that wait, which could stretch to a decade after the catastrophic fire, as “unbearable”.
According to the update from police and prosecutors earlier this year, the mammoth police investigation into the fire has already generated 27,000 lines of inquiry and more than 12,000 witness statements.
A total of 58 individuals and 19 companies and organisations are under investigation for potential criminal offences, and more than 300 hours of interviews have taken place.
Potential offences under consideration include corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, perverting the course of justice, misconduct in public office, health and safety offences, fraud and offences under the fire safety and building regulations.
The moment the fire broke out
08:53
Holly Evans
It was at 00.50am when a resident at Grenfell Tower realised that a fire had broken out in the 24-storey building.
Uber driver Behailu Kebede heard a smoke alarm going off, and discovered that the back of a large fridge-freezer in the kitchen of Flat 16 was on fire, and smoke was rising to the window.
He called 999 and said told the London Fire Brigade: “Flat 16, Grenfell Tower. In the fridge. It’s the fourth floor. Quick, quick, quick. It’s burning!”.
He then wakes his fourth floor neighbours and leaves the tower, with the first four fire engines arriving at the scene at 00.59am.
Report comes one week after non-fatal fire in Dagenham
08:36
Holly Evans
The report comes just over a week after a major fire in east London at a block which had been undergoing work to have cladding removed as a result of what happened at Grenfell.
The non-fatal Dagenham blaze, coming so many years after the 2017 fire, prompted fierce criticism from various quarters including bereaved and survivors group Grenfell United, which said it showed the “painfully slow progress of remediation across the country, and a lack of urgency for building safety as a whole”.
Dame Judith Hackitt, who led an independent review into building regulations after the Grenfell fire, described it as “really concerning” that so many people are still living in uncertainty and fear about the safety of their homes.
Number 10 said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had, at Tuesday’s Cabinet, said the Dagenham fire was a further reminder of the importance of learning lessons from Grenfell to ensure mistakes made then never happen again.
‘Cataclysmic failings’ in Grenfell, firefighter says
08:21
Alexander Butler
A firefighter involved in tackling the Grenfell Tower blaze said there were a “cataclysmic series of failings” in the building.
Ricky Nuttall, who was forced to abandon an attempt to rescue a resident from the 15th floor, defended the “stay put” advice initially given to people in
