Six years ago, London, the country and the world watched in horror as Grenfell Tower burned. My first visit the next morning will forever remain in my memory, as will the details told by the survivors — the tears of anguish, the sweltering heat and the acrid stench of that suffocating smoke.
As I met with local families, many bereaved, many others unsure of the fate of their loved ones and all deeply traumatised, I knew this had to be a watershed moment. Londoners united to demand justice. But six years on, the Grenfell community and their supporters are still waiting.
The fire at Grenfell Tower should have changed everything but, in reality, not nearly enough has happened. The loss of 72 lives should have been the catalyst for a rapid overhaul of the fire building safety system to ensure owners and developers treated it as being of paramount importance. It should have meant rigorous rules and regulations for the industry to follow, supported by clear guidance and, crucially, it should have enabled a vast and lucrative sector to be held to account for its part in this devastating tragedy. Six years should have meant solace for the bereaved, answers for the community and ultimately Justice for Grenfell — yet our pursuit of these goes on.
Of the 12 recommendations made to government from phase one of the Grenfell Inquiry, a third are yet to be implemented. This delay is not only inexcusable but dangerous and I remain concerned that our country has not taken the action necessary to avoid another tragedy on a similar scale. That’s why I have written to the Prime Minister, the fourth in post since the fire, urging him to ensure lessons are learned. Such a deadly inferno can never be allowed to happen again.
On the night of the fire, 15 of the 37 disabled residents at Grenfell died —none of them had a personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP) in place. The urgent need for PEEPs was identified as a key recommendation in the Grenfell Inquiry’s phase one report, yet the Government has repeatedly failed to introduce them. Failure to ensure the safe and dignified evacuation of people with disabilities forces vulnerable residents to live in fear in the place they should feel most secure.
This is not acceptable. All Londoners deserve to have confidence in the safety of their homes and in their ability to escape should the worst happen.
The Grenfell community is proud of its diversity and relatives who have travelled from overseas to participate in the inquiry have played a vital role representing families and helping to uncover the truth. They also continue to play a key role in the community, including as carers to survivors. Even so, despite being granted leave to enter and remain in the UK, Grenfell relatives have been left with no bespoke route to settlement. This means they are required to regularly re-apply for leave and have only limited rights and entitlements. This creates a huge amount of stress and uncertainty for their families and it is entirely avoidable.
I have also urged the Government to introduce to Parliament a ‘Hillsborough Law’, which would place a new legal duty of candour on public authorities and officials to proactively co-operate with official inquiries. Disappointingly, phase two of the Grenfell Inquiry has seen too many influential organisations refusing to accept responsibility for their role in the disaster and instead seeking to blame others.
Justice delayed is justice denied and the community’s trauma has been compounded by years of equivocation and silence.
Consistently and cruelly, the Grenfell community has had to fight to have its voice heard, its questions answered and its sacrifice acknowledged. The physical and psychological effects of the fire have rippled throughout North Kensington and the suffering which started that night is still keenly felt. The Government must recognise that the effects of fire linger long and work to ensure sustained physical and mental health support is in place as the bereaved and survivors rebuild their lives.
As Mayor, I’ll continue doing everything in my power to hold the Government and the authorities to account in pursuing Justice for Grenfell. As a Londoner I stand in solidarity with the bereaved, survivors and community of North Kensington, and as a son of this great city I will always remember the 72 souls we lost in the fire as I work to continue building a safer, fairer London for everyone.
