Grenfell Tower report a ‘moment to reflect on social justice’, says Starmer

The Grenfell Tower disaster raises “fundamental questions” about the way working class communities and people of colour are treated in the UK, Sir Keir Starmer said.

The Prime Minister said tenants of the high-rise block were treated as “second class citizens” and the publication of the report should force people to reflect on the state of social justice in the country.

Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s report said there was “no evidence” that decisions about the tower’s refurbishment, which resulted in the flammable cladding being used, were “affected by racial or social prejudice”.

But it noted that in the aftermath of the blaze which killed 72 people “certain aspects of the response demonstrated a marked lack of respect for human decency and dignity” and Kensington and Chelsea Council “should have done more to cater for those from diverse backgrounds”.

In his statement to MPs, Sir Keir said the report should be “a moment to reflect on the state of social justice in our country”.

He added: “Because this tragedy poses fundamental questions about the kind of country we are.

“A country where the voices of working class people and those of colour have been repeatedly ignored and dismissed.

“A country where tenants of a social housing block in one of the richest parts of the land are treated like second class citizens.

“Shamefully dismissed – in the words of one survivor – as people with needs and problems.

“Not respected as citizens, as people who contribute to Britain, who are part of Britain, who belong in Britain.”

Sir Keir added that “unbelievably, this continued even after the tragedy”, which “should make anyone who feels any affinity towards justice bristle with anger”.

The report said “we have seen some evidence of racial discrimination in the way in which some of those who survived the fire were treated in the days immediately following it at a time when they were at their most vulnerable”.

Over the course of years before the fire, residents of the Lancaster West Estate were not treated with the “courtesy and respect due to them” by the tenant management organisation.

But the report said “we have seen no evidence that any of the decisions that resulted in the creation of a dangerous building or the calamitous spread of fire were affected by racial or social prejudice” and “how Grenfell Tower came to be home to a disproportionately large number of socially disadvantaged people, many from ethnic minority backgrounds, is a question that lies outside our terms of reference”.

But at the time most residents were allocated their flats, the building – before the cladding was installed – was “perfectly safe” and “there was no question, therefore, of allocating homes to those of non-white ethnicity in a building known to be dangerous”.

In the aftermath of the blaze, the report noted that the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) Council “should have done more to cater for those from diverse backgrounds, in particular those many residents of the Muslim faith who were observing Ramadan at the time”.

“They were left feeling that the council had no regard for their cultural and religious needs.”

The report continued: “Many who had particular religious, cultural or social needs suffered a significant degree of discrimination in ways that could and would have been prevented if the guidance had been properly followed.”

Ali Akbor, a member of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry panel, said: “In social housing we often say that we put our tenants at the heart of what we do.

“But it is not enough just to pay lip service to that ideal.

“In our report we look at the relationship between the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation and its residents before the fire.

“We find that it was one of distrust, dislike, personal antagonism and anger.

“Residents deserved to be treated with understanding and respect. The TMO failed to do that.

“We saw a similar failure to treat residents as people – and as individuals – in the aftermath of the fire, including in the way that those with religious, cultural or social needs suffered discrimination as a result of RBKC’s failure to prepare properly for emergencies.

“It was obvious to me from watching and listening to evidence being given at the hearings that there were two different groups of people, those who lived at Grenfell and those who worked for the TMO, RBKC and their agents.”

Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway said “the gross imbalance of power and dismissal of residents is striking” but he warned “these are some of the issues we still encounter”.

“There is a wider societal change that needs to take place towards those living in social housing, stopping the stigma towards this important tenure,” the watchdog added.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby called for “deep reflection and meaningful change” after the report, describing it as “chilling to read that systematic dishonesty and a refusal to listen to concerns were in part to blame for Grenfell Tower becoming a death trap”.

He added: “This tragedy shows us that we must cherish and protect everyone in our society, and that safety should not just be the preserve of the wealthy.

“We must commit to building a housing system that is safe and fair for everyone in this country.”