The Deputy Prime Minister reportedly clashed with relatives of the Grenfell victims (Image: PA )
Bereaved families and survivors of the Grenfell disaster to discuss dismantling the tower block as a “car crash”.
The Deputy Prime Minister was described as “aggressive” in the way she handled the sensitive gathering during which she announced the building where 72 people died was to be torn down.
The remnants of the 220-foot-tall residential building have effectively become a monument to those who perished in the terrifying blaze which engulfed the structure on June 14, 2017.
A large banner with a giant green heart and the words “Grenfell, forever in our hearts” covers the the top of the tower, which can be seen from large parts of north London.
was told the meeting with loved ones from the tragedy was a “car crash” and that a survivor suggested the Deputy Prime Minister was “defensive, even aggressive”.
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Angela Rayner has said Grenfell Tower should torn down (Image: PA )
Responding to criticisms about the way she handled the meeting, Ms Rayner appeared on ‘s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.
She said: “Well, I certainly don’t feel like I was aggressive, and if anyone felt that way, then I would be sincerely upset about that.
“I think what I tried to do is take a really difficult meeting and explain to people, and make sure that those that were bereaved had that information, and the survivors had that information before the decision was made public.”
She added: “Now I know that some people in that room felt that they hadn’t been given the opportunity before then.
“I listened to what they said and my conclusion was still that there is not a possibility, really, for that tower to remain as it is going into the future.
“And I tried to deliver that message as sensitively as I possibly could, knowing full well that it was going to be really upsetting for people to hear that.”
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Grenfell remains the biggest loss of life in a building fire since he Second World War (Image: Getty )
Some expressed upset and shock after the meeting with Ms Rayner on Wednesday, saying they felt they had not had their views considered before the decision was taken.
Grenfell United, which represents some bereaved and survivors, said it appeared from the meeting room that “no-one supported” the Government’s decision.
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said it was not “fair” to suggest Ms Rayner’s manner made survivors and bereaved “feel that she wasn’t really paying attention to them”.
He told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme: “I understand why the bereaved, survivors, the community are frustrated about the pace of change in this area, the lack of justice that they’ve been given.
“There’s a lot of frustration in the community. It’s an incredibly sensitive topic.
“The Prime Minister and the building safety minister have engaged extensively with the community. They’ve had an ongoing dialogue. They’ve had multiple avenues to feed in.
“It is a sensitive issue, and I think the crux of the issue is there’s no consensus on what should happen to the tower. Some people want to see that tower remain.”
What is left of the tower has stood in place in the years since the fire, with a covering on the building featuring a large green heart accompanied by the words “forever in our hearts”.
Mr Pennycook added: “We are going to bring it down because through independent expert advice we’ve been told that it’s unsafe, that it is degrading. We’re going to bring it down, though, I think importantly in a sensitive way.”
The Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission has been consulting on plans for a permanent memorial in the area of the tower, with recommendations including a “sacred space”, designed to be a “peaceful place for remembering and reflecting”.
It is expected a planning application for a memorial could be submitted in late 2026.