In a damning final report, a public inquiry into the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire that killed 72 people has placed the blame squarely on the government, the construction industry, and the companies involved in the building's refurbishment. The inquiry, led by Martin Moore-Bick, concluded that the disaster, Britain's deadliest residential building blaze since World War Two, was the result of numerous failings and could have been prevented.
The fire broke out in the early hours of June 14, 2017, ripping through the 23-storey social housing block located in one of London’s wealthiest areas. The inquiry's report, which spans nearly 1,700 pages, found that the deaths were "all avoidable" and attributed most of the responsibility to the firms that fitted the building's exterior with highly flammable cladding. The report criticized these companies for dishonestly marketing combustible materials as safe and accused them, along with local and national authorities, of negligence and dishonesty.
Moore-Bick highlighted that the disaster was the "culmination of decades of failure," where profits were prioritized over safety. “Not all of them bear the same degree of responsibility for the eventual disaster, but as our reports show, all contributed to it in one way or another, in most cases, through incompetence, but in some cases, through dishonesty and greed,” he stated.
The inquiry's findings leveled widespread criticism at various parties, including the then-government, the local authority of Kensington and Chelsea, regulatory bodies, and the fire brigade. The report condemned their years of inaction over fire safety in high-rise blocks. Grenfell United, a group representing survivors and bereaved families, called for government accountability, stating, "The duty of government should be to safeguard life, whilst protecting us from corporate greed. But for too long, they have aided corporations, facilitating them to profit and dictate regulation."
While British police have confirmed that 58 individuals and 19 firms and organizations are under investigation, potential prosecutions, including for corporate manslaughter and fraud, are still years away due to the complexity of the case and the need to consider the inquiry's findings.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a formal apology to the victims' relatives and survivors on behalf of the British state, admitting that they had been "failed for years." Addressing parliament, where some bereaved families were present, he declared, “It should never have happened. The country failed to discharge its most fundamental duty, to protect you and your loved ones. Today is a long-awaited day of truth, but it must now lead to a day of justice.”
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