SURVIVORS and bereaved families from the Grenfell fire are yet to receive justice and have been “left in limbo,” according to campaigners, who are marking the tragedy’s seventh anniversary today.
The Grenfell Inquiry expects to publish its final report into the fire, which killed 72 residents of a 24-storey block in North Kensington, in September.
But the Met Police has said investigators will need at least another 12 to 18 months to announce charges, meaning that the bereaved and survivors may have to wait until 2028 – more than a decade after the tragedy – for suspects to face trial.
In a statement, Justice4Grenfell said the inquiry, “marred by delays and inefficiencies, has yet to deliver justice.”
It said those affected had been “left in limbo, their suffering prolonged by a system that seems more concerned with self-preservation than accountability.”
It added: “The Grenfell Tower fire is not an isolated incident. It is part of a disturbing pattern of systemic failures and injustices, including Hillsborough, the Windrush scandal, the Post Office Horizon scandal, and the contaminated blood scandal.
“Each of these cases highlights a government that consistently fails its most vulnerable citizens.”
“As we approach the next general election, we see politicians scrambling for our votes, pretending to care about these issues, but in reality, we know they are kicking the can down the road.
“The time for empty rhetoric is over; we need real commitment and tangible change.”
The group is demanding a radical overhaul of housing policies and substantial investment in social housing to ensure safe, dignified living conditions.
With Labour pledging to build 1.5 million homes in its first term, the Fire Brigades Union has called on the party to tackle the lack of regulation that led to the fire.
FBU leader Matt Wrack said the fire was “a crime committed by politicians and corporations on residents they were supposed to protect,” caused by a lack of regulation and oversight by ministers.
“The Tories have failed to implement adequate safety measures and continue to leave many thousands of high rise residents at risk,” he said.
“The next Labour government must end the crime of deregulation, with proper standards and oversight of building materials, design and evacuation plans.”
Former Building Research Establishment director Debbie Smith confirmed at the inquiry in 2022 that the government was in “no doubt” the flammable ACM panels with a Polyethlene core should “never ever” be used above 18 metres from as early as mid-September 2002.
Yet more than half of the residential blocks built by Rydon, the company responsible for installing the cladding, reportedly still have fire safety issues.
A silent walk commemorating the victims is due to start from Notting Hill Methodist Church at 6.30pm tonight.
