London fire as it happened: 12 residents confirmed dead and more fatalities expected after day of horror

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has suggested spending cuts could have contributed to the deadly fire at Grenfell Tower.

He said “searching questions” need to be asked about what happened at the west London tower block, adding: “If you deny local authorities the funding they need, then there is a price that's paid.”

Mr Corbyn told LBC Radio that calls for sprinklers to be installed in high-rise buildings after a fatal fire at Lakanal House in south London in 2009 had not been heeded.

He said: “Harriet Harman, who is the MP for Camberwell and Peckham, raised all these issues after that fire and ... demanded that sprinklers should be fitted to all of these buildings.

“I suspect they have not been in many places. I don't know all of the details for the whole country but, if you deny local authorities the funding they need, then there is a price to pay that's paid by the lack of safety facilities all over the country.

“I think there needs to be some very searching questions asked as quickly as possible in the aftermath of this fire.”

PA

The former deputy chief fire officer for U.S. Air Force bases in Britain says he has never seen a fire in an apartment block spread at such speed. 

Joe Ruane, who now works as a consultant, says it appeared likely that several fire protection safeguards at Grenfell Tower in west London failed. 

He says: “It's not just one thing. It's multiple issues.” 

He said firefighters arriving at the scene about six minutes after the first call found the building engulfed, hampering their ability to attack the blaze. 

Ruane says, “I've never seen a fire like that in my life.” 

Authorities have declined to speculate about how the fire started and how it spread so rapidly to engulf the whole building. 

Speaker John Bercow has offered condolences on behalf of MPs to the victims of the “unimaginable and horrific disaster” at Grenfell Tower.

Mr Bercow also said MPs offered their “warmest and most effusive thanks” to the “magnificent” emergency services who responded to the huge fire at the west London tower block.

He said it is not possible for Parliament to officially discuss the tragedy in the chamber as it has yet to officially convene following the General Election.

A meeting with a minister is expected to take place in the Palace of Westminster to enable questions from MPs, Mr Bercow added.

Unite said it was essential that the hundreds of people made homeless are quickly rehoused locally in secure and affordable accommodation.

The union said in a statement: “The Government must move fast and no talk of lack of money can be accepted in this situation.

“Unite has members who live in Grenfell Tower. We are doing our utmost to locate them, and to offer every support to them and their neighbours. Our community members are already mobilising collections for essentials, such as clothing, food and toiletries.

“Clearly there are very many questions to be asked about the cause of the blaze, and when the time is appropriate this union will be redoubling its efforts to push decent, safe social housing up the political agenda. There are thousands of such towers around the UK. We must ensure that they pose no risk to human life.

“But for today we need to rally around the people affected and this devastated community.”