‘Disgraceful!’ Angela Rayner slammed by Grenfell families over decision to demolish tower
Angela Rayner has been slammed as ‘disgraceful’ by families of Grenfell Tower victims after she announced that the building would be demolished.
The tower block in west London caught fire in June 2017, killing 72 people. It has remained abandoned ever since.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary met with survivors and families of the deceased on Wednesday evening to tell them about the plans for the block, which is expected to be replaced with a memorial.
The Government previously gave assurances that no changes would be made to the site before the eighth anniversary of the disaster, which falls on June 14.
Grenfell United, which represents some bereaved families, said that the voices of the deceased had been ignored.
They said: “We’ve said this to every secretary of state for housing since the very beginning: consult the bereaved and survivors meaningfully before reaching a decision on the tower.
“Angela Rayner could not give a reason for her decision to demolish the tower.
“She refused to confirm how many bereaved and survivors had been spoken to in the recent, short four-week consultation.
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“But judging from the room alone – the vast majority of whom were bereaved – no one supported her decision.
“Ignoring the voices of bereaved on the future of our loved ones’ gravesite is disgraceful and unforgivable.”
Another group representing bereaved families, Grenfell Next of Kin, said that Rayner had “announced the decision that the tower will have to be carefully deconstructed”.
A spokesperson for the group said the decision around the tower’s future was “obviously a very sensitive and difficult” one.
They added: “For the next of kin of the deceased, that building is a shrine and the death place of their immediate families, their brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, husbands, wives and children – but they understand the hard facts around safety.”
What is left of the tower in North Kensington is now covered by white tarp and banners showcasing a green heart and the text: “Grenfell, forever in our hearts.”
A public inquiry that concluded in September 2024 found that the 72 deaths in the blaze were avoidable, and that the people who lived and died in the high-rise block had “badly failed” by authorities and the construction industry.
Judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick said that Grenfell was covered in flammable cladding due to the “systematic dishonesty” of firms who made and sold it.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the residents of Grenfell Tower “paid a price for systemic dishonesty, corporate greed and institutional indifference and neglect”.
Paying tribute to the 72 lives lost, he also issued a blistering attack on authorities and building firms, saying the fire “isn’t just a heart-breaking tragedy, it’s a horrific injustice and a national disgrace”.