Official UK government announcements or publications

PM Keir Starmer Apologizes to Grenfell Victims, 72 Lives Lost, Following Damning Inquiry Report

Sep 4, 2024, 11:44 AM

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has issued a formal apology on behalf of the British state to the victims of the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, which claimed 72 lives. The apology comes in response to the final report from Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s Grenfell Tower inquiry, which identified 'substantial and widespread failings' and 'decades of failure' by the government and other bodies. Starmer stated that the government will write to all companies named in the report as a first step to barring them from future public contacts and government contracts. He emphasized that such a tragedy should never have happened and expressed his deep sorrow for the state's failure to protect the victims. Starmer also conveyed his thoughts to the bereaved and survivors, acknowledging that they have been let down before, during, and after the tragedy. The statement was made in the House of Commons.