It is with shock that we read the Times article today, given the promise by the Government that no decision would be made on the future of the tower without full consultation with the bereaved and survivors.
The Government has engaged with fewer than 10 of the bereaved and survivors on this matter, to date, and with such a wide range of viewpoints across all affected families, we struggle to understand why this would be pushed through so quickly.
Given what we went through, safety has always been paramount and we have had previous assurances that the tower can be kept safe for as long as it needs to be, and that it poses no risk to the community around it.
Given the limited legislation passed since the Grenfell fire to keep people safe in their homes, the glacial process of removing flammable cladding, and the daily reports of the links between the Government and the construction industry, it seems to us that removing Grenfell from the skyline while the inquiry and police investigation still continues to only serve those accused or those that haven’t acted.
How can the tower be demolished before the legal process concludes, when no judge in the land can confirm it won’t hinder future criminal prosecutions?
Justice is important to us all and anything that may prevent justice must not be an option.
Many of the Grenfell Community accept the removal of the tower will always be a case of when not if, but the timeline needs to be decided by the bereaved, survivors and community, not the government – who have done nothing to make the changes needed to prevent it happening again.