"Grenfell families criticise report for ignoring impact on diverse communities," 5 September 2024

Grenfell families have criticised the final inquiry report on the disaster for failing to fully address the disproportionate impact the tragedy had on diverse and marginalised communities...

The damning report on the Grenfell Tower fire was published on Wednesday and found decades of failings by central government and corporations. It concluded that all 72 deaths in the 2017 blaze were avoidable...

...For some bereaved families the 1,700-page report did not go far enough in investigating the disproportionate impact the fire had on residents from marginalised backgrounds.

According to submissions to the inquiry, 85% of the tower’s residents who died in the fire were of Black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) origin...

...The inquiry did see “some evidence of racial discrimination” in the way families were treated after the fire. In particular, the inquiry found the council showed “no regard” for the cultural or religious needs of the Muslim residents, who were observing Ramadan...

Yvette Williams, co-founder of the campaign group Justice4Grenfell, said the failure to include race in the inquiry’s terms of reference meant society could not learn properly from the findings...

In response to the report, the leader of Kensington and Chelsea council, Elizabeth Campbell, said it “failed the residents of Grenfell Tower” and it will “learn from every single criticism in the report”.

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry declined to comment.