Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has expressed strong support for immediate criminal prosecutions of those responsible for the Grenfell Tower disaster. Speaking in the wake of a damning public inquiry report released on Wednesday, Rayner emphasised the urgency of justice for the 72 lives lost in the 2017 blaze in London.
The inquiry, led by retired judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick, concluded that the tragedy resulted from “decades of failure” by the government and severe misconduct by companies involved in the tower’s refurbishment. It specifically called out companies such as Arconic, Celotex, and Kingspan for using combustible materials and misleading the market through “deliberate and sustained strategies.”
In an interview on Sky News, Rayner stressed that delaying justice equates to denying it, and voiced her commitment to supporting the Metropolitan Police in their ongoing criminal investigation. She reiterated the necessity for accountability on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, asserting that “there should be consequences” for the failures identified.
Rayner highlighted the inquiry’s findings of incompetence, cavalier attitudes, and concealment of misconduct by the refurbishing companies. She also noted the disregard of Grenfell residents’ safety concerns by local authorities and the property’s management.
When asked about potential governmental accountability, Rayner assured that all aspects of the tragedy are being thoroughly investigated and that any criminal activities uncovered would be addressed by law enforcement.
The Deputy Prime Minister also expressed dissatisfaction with the current pace of making other buildings safe, acknowledging on Times Radio and BBC Breakfast that there are still residences equipped with hazardous cladding, similar to that which accelerated the Grenfell fire. She outlined ongoing efforts to ensure fire safety measures are in place, including adequate evacuation procedures and vigilant monitoring of buildings requiring additional oversight.
This push for accelerated legal action comes as London’s fire services responded to another tower block fire in Catford, south-east London, on Wednesday. The incident, which occurred shortly after the Grenfell report was made public, fortunately resulted in no injuries, with all residents safely evacuated.
Related: Jeremy Corbyn labels Grenfell tragedy ‘social murder’ in wake of inquiry report
