"Before was the time to act" Grenfell resident demands justice on third anniversary of fire

14 June 2020, 15:48

Firefighter and Grenfell resident reflect on Grenfell Tower disaster

A former resident of Grenfell Tower called for justice to be served for survivors and the deceased on the third anniversary of the disaster.

Maajid Nawaz was joined by Tiago Alves, who was a resident of Grenfell Tower before the fire that killed 72 residents. Three years on from the disaster, an enquiry still hasn't concluded who was at fault for the blaze, as many blame flammable cladding used in the build as the main reason for the scale of the disaster.

Maajid wanted to know what Mr Alves would "like to say to ministers who are listening right now" for which he was quick to tell them to "do something about it."

"History will look badly upon you" he said, adding that "before was the time to act" on serving justice for residents but now politicians can redeem themselves.

The former resident told Maajid that "with coronavirus, the amount of work that could have been done is reduced" and has slowed down the prevention of another disaster happening. "Knowing something like this could happen again is terrifying"

Mr Alves went on to tell Maajid that this whole process has led to him "finding community within the people you find around you."

He revealed he has relocated but remained near the tower as he feels "that being together with people I know and people that know me gives me a sense of being part of something greater."

Maajid was also joined by Ricky Nuttall, London firefighter who was present at the Grenfell fire three years ago. He told Maajid that he and some colleagues went to the tower for a "strange, socially distanced commemorative visit."

Mr Nuttall was taken aback in his commemorations while "thinking of the same tragedy, the same amount of lives lost" yet not much has been done to fix the infrastructural problems that proved fatal in Grenfell.

The firefighter told Maajid that it is believed there are 20,000 homes in the UK that still have insufficient fire safety. "I don't think the government are trying to hide it" he said and was worried by the lack of urgency.

Mr Nuttall claimed it to be "an apathetic approach to a tragedy that should have never happened" and there are still a lot of questions to be answered.

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