We'll force owners to fix buildings Grenfell will be a catalyst for change
Evening Standard|September 05, 2024
LONDONERS will never forget the 72 innocent lives that were lost in the Grenfell Tower fire seven years ago.
Rushanara Ali
We'll force owners to fix buildings Grenfell will be a catalyst for change

This was an unimaginable tragedy in the heart of our city and the biggest loss of life in a residential fire since the Second World War. A night of shame for Britain that left physical and emotional scars that may never heal as a community was fatally let down.

The Prime Minister has apologised to the Grenfell community for the failures of successive governments that led to the disaster. And the "systematic dishonesty" Sir Martin Moore-Bick identifies in his report by those firms that made and sold the cladding panels and insulation products that were fitted to the tower is truly appalling.

But we know that no words of ours can hope to assuage the grief and loss endured by the survivors, bereaved and residents who have waited too long for the change and justice they deserve.

The Grenfell Fire Inquiry report marks a significant moment in understanding what happened and why. Its findings are devastating.

As Sir Martin stated: "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."

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