Government 'erasing memory of Grenfell for convenience', Maajid Nawaz fears
5 September 2021, 16:00 | Updated: 6 September 2021, 16:35
Maajid Nawaz's powerful assessment of Grenfell situation
Grenfell Tower must remain in place until government provides justice for all the victims of the disaster, Maajid Nawaz insists.
Following the revelations that the government plan to knock down Grenfell Tower, citing safety concerns, Maajid Nawaz said that justice must be served to victims before any brash decisions are made.
"We know there are people who live in similar apartments with identically dangerous cladding who haven't been able to get the government to get the work done," Maajid pointed out.
Read more: Grenfell activist: 'You're not touching the tower until we say so'
"If we knock this tower down before we provide justice to all the people that need to be helped in this situation, and without the consent of the victims, then I do worry we're erasing the memory for convenience sake."
He added that "before Robert Jenrick proceeds, the survivors of the tragedy at Grenfell need to be heard," noting that Grenfell survivors and families must be at the heart of any plans to renew the site.
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He reminded listeners that "there are people that lost everything" in the disaster and the government "haven't properly implemented" justice for the victims. No action should be taken, therefore, until victims are served.
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"You knock this thing down and you remove the only viviid and visual depiction of what happened."
He concluded by suggesting that no matter what replaces the building, it must have the approval of the families.
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: “We know how important and sensitive this decision is and no decision has been taken.
“Following important independent safety advice from structural engineers, we are engaging closely with the community as we consider the evidence including the safety concerns raised, and what the future of the Grenfell Tower should be.
“We have now published this advice to ensure those most affected have access to the information that will inform a decision on the Tower, before one is reached.”
