The long-awaited report into the tragic blaze that engulfed Grenfell Tower, claiming the lives of 72 people, is set to be published today.
The final report on the inquiry will present findings on how the west London tower block came to be in a condition which allowed the flames to spread so quickly during the 2017 fire.
Families of those killed have insisted it must be a “landmark report” which prompts widescale change after what was described as a “spider’s web of blame” was spun during inquiry hearings.
The report into phase one, published in October 2019, concluded the tower’s cladding did not comply with building regulations and was the principal reason for the rapid and “profoundly shocking” spread of the blaze.
It is expected that inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick and his two panel members will lay out their detailed findings regarding the actions of corporate firms in the construction industry, the local authority, London Fire Brigade and the government.
The report’s findings could ramp up pressure on police and prosecutors to make progress on getting people before the courts – something many bereaved and survivors have said must happen for justice to be served.
06:48 , Tom Watling
The long-running inquiry’s second report into the Grenfell Tower fire will present findings today on how the west London tower block came to be in a condition which allowed the flames to spread so quickly, claiming the lives of 72 people.
The report into phase one, published in October 2019, concluded the tower’s cladding did not comply with building regulations and was the “principal” reason for the rapid and “profoundly shocking” spread of the blaze.
It is expected inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick and his two panel members will now go on to lay out their detailed findings regarding the actions of corporate firms in the construction industry, the local authority, London Fire Brigade and the government.
The final hearing of the second phase of the inquiry took place in November 2022 and families have previously spoken of their long wait and continued fight for justice.
06:39 , Chris Stevenson
The report comes just over a week after a major fire in east London at a block which had been undergoing work to have cladding removed as a result of what happened at Grenfell.
The non-fatal Dagenham blaze, coming so many years after the 2017 fire, prompted fierce criticism from various quarters including bereaved and survivors group Grenfell United, which said it showed the “painfully slow progress of remediation across the country, and a lack of urgency for building safety as a whole”.
Dame Judith Hackitt, who led an independent review into building regulations after the Grenfell fire, described it as “really concerning” that so many people are still living in uncertainty and fear about the safety of their homes.
Dowing Street said prime minister Sir Keir Starmer had, at Tuesday’s Cabinet, said the Dagenham fire was a further reminder of the importance of learning lessons from Grenfell to ensure mistakes made then never happen again.
06:30 , Tom Watling
Below, we have compiled some pictures from throughout the last seven years since Grenfell Tower caught on fire, claiming the lives of 72 people.
Since then, residents and relatives have fought for justice in what they believe was the prioritisation of profit over people.
06:15 , Tom Watling
Sandra Ruiz, whose 12-year-old niece Jessica Urbano Ramirez died in the fire, said this final publication must be a “landmark report”, which prompts “cultural, institutional and legislative change”.
She said there is “a bit of trepidation” that the report “may not cover everything that we hope for”, but added there is “a lot of hopefulness” given how “hard-hitting” the first report was.
The report needs to bring about “a tide change” in how organisations, government and local authorities are governed and managed, she said, “because we’ve seen all too often” how people have “completely sidestepped their areas of responsibility”.
She added: “We can’t allow that to happen. Unfortunately this country’s governance is broken at the moment. This report needs to change that.”
06:00 , Tom Watling
Good morning.
Here we will be bringing you coverage of the final report in the long-running inquiry into the fire that engulfed Grenfell Tower.
