Prime Minister Keir Starmer has apologised on behalf of the British state for the Grenfell tower fire that claimed 72 lives on the 14th of June 2017.

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In a statement made in parliament earlier today, Starmer began by making the following apology:

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“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.

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Starmer admitted to MPs and a public gallery filled with victims and their families that "the country failed to discharge its most fundamental duty - to protect” the people of Grenfell. 

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Starmers apology came after the damning final report on the tragedy found that all 72 deaths were ‘avoidable’ and were due to “the culmination of decades of failure by central government and other bodies in positions of responsibility in the construction industry”. 

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The report, by the chairman of the Grenfell inquiry Sir Martin Moore-Bick, stated: “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,”

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Apsana Begum, the independent MP for Poplar and Limehouse, took to social media to demand that “companies held responsible by the Inquiry should be banned from receiving public contracts, immediately. Otherwise the risks continue, with unsafe buildings continuing to be built”.

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Starmer also suggested that the construction companies at fault would be admonished, stating:

“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,” 

Grenfell United, an organization which has advocated for the victims and which represents some of the victims’ families, offered the following statement after the the publication of the report: 

 “To prevent a future Grenfell, the government needs to create something that doesn’t exist: a government with the power and ability to separate itself from the construction industry and corporate lobbying, putting people before profit.

“Over and above all, the judge concludes what we already knew, that every single loss of life was avoidable.

“We expect this government to break old habits and implement all of the recommendations made by Sir Martin Moore-Bick from the inquiry report without further delay, because the time to address this is already three decades too late.”

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Residents, let’s continue to keep the families in our thoughts.

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