Angela Rayner told families the tower would be demolished (Image: Getty)
Angela Rayner has been accused of ignoring bereaved families of the Grenfell Tower fire after she told them that the block of flats would be demolished.
But the Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary’s decision was slammed as “disgraceful and unforgivable” by a survivors’ group who claimed that families of the 72 people killed in the fire had not been consulted.
Grenfell United, which represents some bereaved families, said: “We’ve said this to every secretary of state for housing since the very beginning: consult the bereaved and survivors meaningfully before reaching a decision on the tower.
“ could not give a reason for her decision to demolish the tower.
“She refused to confirm how many bereaved and survivors had been spoken to in the recent, short four-week consultation.
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“But judging from the room alone – the vast majority of whom were bereaved – no one supported her decision.
“Ignoring the voices of bereaved on the future of our loved ones’ gravesite is disgraceful and unforgivable.”
The Government had previously said there would be no changes to the site before June, which is the eighth anniversary of the disaster.
Ministers will set out more details by the end of the week but the Government has previously said structural engineering advice remained unchanged “in that the building (or that part of it that was significantly damaged) should be carefully taken down”.
The tower’s remains have stood with a wrap covering the building which features a large green heart accompanied by the words “forever in our hearts”.
The final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, published in September, concluded the disaster was the result of “decades of failure” by the government and the construction industry to act on the dangers of flammable materials on high-rise buildings.
A Government spokesman said: ‘The priority for the Deputy Prime Minister is to meet with and write to the bereaved, survivors and the immediate community to let them know her decision on the future of the Grenfell Tower.
‘This is a deeply personal matter for all those affected, and the Deputy Prime Minister is committed to keeping their voice at the heart of this.’