Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has described the Grenfell Tower fire, which claimed 72 lives in June 2017, as “social murder,” attributing the catastrophe to the “greed and incompetence of public officials and private companies.” His comments followed the release of the final Grenfell Inquiry report, which concluded that a “complacent and defensive attitude to fire safety” within the government and years of failures in the construction industry were to blame for the disaster.
Speaking on LBC’s Tonight With Andrew Marr, Corbyn expressed relief that the inquiry had finally acknowledged the unnecessary loss of life and the systemic failures that led to the tragedy. “At last, there’s a recognition officially that not one of those lives needed to have been lost, all could have been saved, all could have been prevented,” he stated.
The inquiry, chaired by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, highlighted the government’s repeated failure to heed warnings about the flammable cladding that exacerbated the fire. Corbyn argued that the residents’ voices demanding safety were ignored because they were from a less affluent demographic, asserting that if Grenfell had been a high-end private development, the response and preventative measures would have been markedly different.
When asked if the disaster constituted “social murder,” Corbyn unequivocally agreed, citing the profit-driven neglect by both public and private sectors. He lamented the stark contrast in treatment that would have been afforded to a wealthier or privately owned building, highlighting systemic disregard for vulnerable communities.
Corbyn also recalled interactions with Grenfell residents who had previously raised safety concerns to no avail. He advocated for criminal accountability for those responsible, reflecting a sentiment he shared with the Prime Minister during a session in the House of Commons.
Addressing the Commons, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed profound regret over the state’s failure to protect its citizens, apologizing to the victims and families affected by the Grenfell fire. He committed to demanding higher standards in building safety, acknowledging the deep-seated trust issues that now pervade communities similar to Grenfell.
“The country failed to discharge its most fundamental duty – to protect you and your loved ones,” Starmer declared, promising a rigorous overhaul of building safety protocols to prevent such disasters in the future.
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