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LIVE: Grenfell Tower Report says blaze was caused by 'decades of failure' by those in power
4 September 2024, 07:52 | Updated: 4 September 2024, 13:03
The devastating Grenfell Tower fire resulted from “decades of failure” by government and the construction industry to act on the dangers of flammable materials on high-rise buildings, according to the final report.
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The report comes seven years after 72 people died in the deadly blaze.
Families of those killed have called for a “landmark report” which prompts widescale change after what was described as a “spider’s web of blame” was spun during inquiry hearings.
The phase one report, published in 2019, 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.
The devastating Grenfell Tower fire which killed 72 people was the result of “decades of failure” by government and the construction industry to act on the dangers of flammable materials on high-rise buildings, a long-awaited report has found.
Follow our live blog for the latest updates on the final Grenfell report, or listen live on Global Player.
The fire killed 72 people in June 2017 and led to a wide-ranging outcry over the use of combustible cladding on high-rise blocks.
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.
Grenfell Tower report at a glance
“No one has asked me if I wanted this inquiry”
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.
Met police vow to go through Grenfell report 'line by line' to 'secure justice for those who died'
The Metropolitan police have vowed to go through the final Grenfell fire report "line by line" to "secure justice for those who died".
Those affected by the tragedy in June 2017, which saw 72 people killed, face a wait of another year to 18 months to find out whether any criminal charges will be brought.
Police and prosecutors said in May that investigators will need until the end of 2025 to complete their inquiry, with final decisions on potential criminal charges by the end of 2026.
'Every death was avoidable': From an unborn baby to an 84-year-old grandmother-of six, the 72 people who died in Grenfell
A damning report has laid bare how the Grenfell Tower tragedy unfolded - singling out "dishonest" firms, "indifferent" landlords and the government's "failure to act".
The blaze, which was the worst in Britain for more than a generation, was accelerated by deadly combustible cladding and many of those who died had been told to stay in their flats.
Inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said "every death was avoidable"
Learn more about the victims, ranging from an unborn baby to an 84-year-old woman, here.
The key takeaways from the scathing final report into the Grenfell Tower fire
– Decades of government failure
– Cladding manufacturers concealed risks
– Fire safety test manipulated
– Ministers well aware of dangers
Watch Charlotte Lynch run through the key takeaways from the scathing final report into the Grenfell Tower fire.
Grenfell survivor: 'we did not ask for inquiry'
Grenfell Next of Kin, a group that represents the families of almost half those killed, is holding a press conference following the report.
Hisam Choucair, who witnessed six members of his family dying in Grenfell Tower, says the inquiry was “forced on us” and was not wanted.
He said it has delayed justice and has “put the extra nail in our hearts”.
“We did not ask for this inquiry. This inquiry was opened on the second day of the fire. The majority of us didn’t have solicitors, didn’t know what an inquiry was.
“We did not know the consequences of having an inquiry and how that would impact on our justice moving forward.”
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.”
PM apologises to survivors on behalf on the British state
Those affected by the Grenfell Tower disaster were “let down very badly before, during and in the aftermath of the tragedy”, the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said as he offered them an apology on behalf of the British state.
Sir Keir Starmer said: “I want to start with an apology on behalf of the British State to each and every one of you and, indeed, to all of the families affected by this tragedy. It should never have happened.
“The country failed to discharge its most fundamental duty to protect you and your loved ones. The people that we are here to serve. And I am deeply sorry.”
Grenfell tribute left by Keir Starmer binned by member of the local community
A tribute left at Grenfell memorial by Sir Keir Starmer in June was put by the bin by a member of a local community, writes LBC's Charlotte Lynch.
The woman, who didn’t want to be named, said the government “haven’t learned a thing”.
The Prime Minister placed the memorial wreath on the anniversary of the deadly blaze.
Sadiq Khan calls for those responsible for disaster to be banned from government contracts
Following publication of the report, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said those responsible for the fire should be banned from receiving government contracts and urged the Crown Prosecution Service to bring criminal charges against them.
He 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.”
Report 'cannot become another dusty book on shelf in Whitehall'
The government must act quickly to implement the report's recommendations, the Liberal Democrat leader has said.
Sir Ed Davey said victims' families were still waiting for "real justice and meaningful action".
"We owe it to them to ensure that this crucial report does not become another dust-covered book sitting on a shelf in Whitehall," he adds.
"Dangerous cladding must be removed from all buildings as quickly as possible.
"The government must also act on the rest of the inquiry's findings with the urgency they demand - to hold those responsible to account and prevent another disaster like this from ever happening again."
