Victims of the Grenfell Tower fire say they are still waiting for justice after a damning report blamed it on “dishonest” companies and a chain of failures by governments.
A cladding manufacturer “deliberately concealed” fire risks, while coalition and Conservative governments “ignored, delayed or disregarded” concerns, the six-year public inquiry’s final report concluded.
Grenfell United, which represents some of the families, said the inquiry’s report sets out how corporate bodies involved were “little better than crooks”.
Group spokesperson Natasha Elcock said: “Human life was never a priority, and we lost friends, neighbours and loved ones in the most horrific way – from greed, corruption.”
The fire in the west London tower block in June 2017 left 72 people dead – 54 adults and 18 children.
Speaking after the report was released, Karim Khalloufi, whose sister Khadija was among those who died, said the inquiry had delayed the justice owed to him and other bereaved families.
“No-one has asked me if I wanted this inquiry,” he said, adding “maybe I will die without having justice”.
Hisam Choucair, who lost six family members in the fire, thanked the inquiry for its findings but said waiting for its conclusion had prevented prosecutions.
Watching witnesses “laugh” while giving evidence during the lengthy inquiry made him angry.
Police and prosecutors have said that investigators will need until the end of 2025 to complete their inquiry, with final decisions on potential criminal charges by the end of 2026.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer apologised on behalf of the government, saying the disaster should “never have happened”.
In a statement, Grenfell United said previous governments had “aided corporations, facilitating them to profit and dictate regulation” and called on some of the firms involved to be banned from government contracts.
The group said the report marked a “significant chapter” since the fire but members felt “justice has not been delivered”.
Among the key findings of the report were:
- “Systematic dishonesty” by the manufacturers of cladding and insulation
- US firm Arconic, manufacturer of the Reynobond 55 cladding which experts at the inquiry said was “by far the largest contributor” to the fire, deliberately concealed the true extent of the danger of using its product
- Manufacturers made “false and misleading claims” over the safety and suitability of insulation to the company which installed it on Grenfell
- There was a “chronic lack” of leadership at the London Fire Brigade, including too much emphasis on process and an “attitude of complacency”
- The government and others failed to give proper consideration to the dangers of some kinds of cladding over decades
- The local council and the Tenant Management Organisation had a “persistent indifference to fire safety, particularly the safety of vulnerable people”
- How building safety is managed in England and Wales is “seriously defective”
Speaking after the report was published, the inquiry chair Sir Martin Moore-Bick said: “The simple truth is that the deaths that occurred were all avoidable and that 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.”
He said not all of the named organisations and companies “bear the same degree of responsibility for the disaster”, with some showing “dishonesty and greed” with others simply incompetent.
The report said that Arconic commissioned fire tests which revealed very poor ratings for cladding installed as folded cassettes, but concealed these from a British private certification firm whose job it was to keep the construction industry up to date with safety risks.
In response to the report, Arconic rejected “any claim” that its subsidiary Arconic Architectural Products “sold an unsafe product”.
The inquiry also found fault with Celotex and Kingspan, which both made insulation.
Celotex said it has “reviewed and improved” process controls, quality management and its approach to marketing.
Kingspan said it has “long acknowledged the wholly unacceptable historical failings that occurred in part of our UK insulation business”.
London Fire Brigade Commissioner Andy Roe said the fire service is “not complacent” and would continue to act on the inquiry’s findings.
In a statement to Parliament, Sir Keir apologised on behalf of the British state, saying those affected had been “let down very badly before, during and in the aftermath of the tragedy”.
He said it is “imperative there is full accountability” for those responsible – including possible criminal prosecutions – as soon as possible.
Opposition leader and former PM Rishi Sunak said the report is a “damning indictment of over 30 years of successive state failures” which paints a picture of “systemic indifference” and “failure” – and in some cases, “dishonesty and greed”.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said “criminality must be investigated, tried and punished”, be it “corporate manslaughter, fraud or misconduct in public office”.
Emma O’Connor, who was on the 20th floor before she escaped the fire, she was glad the inquiry laid the blame “where it’s supposed to be”.
Describing the mood in the room as the chair delivered the remarks, she said: “It was quiet, as usual, as it’s a court setting, but there were also a lot of silent tears.
“You just want to grab some of your neighbours and tell them, ‘it’s going to be alright’.
Echoing a sentiment expressed by many survivors and those left bereaved, she said: “The real fight continues”.
Additional reporting by James Kelly
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