Sir Keir Starmer said a “decision has got to be made” on Grenfell Tower after some families spoke of their anger at feeling ignored ahead of an announcement that the block will be demolished.
The Prime Minister said the victims of the disaster, which claimed the lives of 72 people, must always be “in our mind’s eye”, when asked about their claims of a lack of consultation.
The Government’s decision, shared with families at a private meeting on Wednesday evening, has prompted anger among some bereaved and survivors.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who is also Housing Secretary, is understood to have been met with gasps from a shocked room of mostly bereaved people who felt there had not been enough consultation.
Grenfell United, which represents some bereaved and survivors, said it appeared from the room that “no-one supported her decision”.
It is understood some asked if the decision could be reversed.
An official update will be given on Friday, but the Government has previously said there will be no changes to the west London site before the eighth anniversary of the disaster in June.
Our statement following Angela Rayner's decision to demolish Grenfell Tower pic.twitter.com/9JiB8FDNPA
— Grenfell United (@GrenfellUnited) February 5, 2025
Sir Keir, who was asked about Grenfell while on a visit to the UK National Nuclear Laboratory near Preston, in Lancashire, said: “Well, I went to the tower last year and was really struck by the significance of what I saw and talking to some of the families as well.
“Obviously, a decision has got to be made and the Deputy Prime Minister will be setting that out tomorrow, so we will see the full details on that.”
Asked if he had ignored families of the victims, he said: “I think first and foremost we do need to always have in our mind’s eye the victims in this terrible, terrible tragedy.”
What is left of the tower has stood in place in the years since the disaster, with a covering on the building featuring a large green heart accompanied by the words “forever in our hearts”.
In a previous update, the Government said structural engineering advice remained unchanged “in that the building (or that part of it that was significantly damaged) should be carefully taken down”.
Grenfell United said housing secretaries in the years since the June 2017 fire had been repeatedly urged to “consult the bereaved and survivors meaningfully before reaching a decision on the tower”.
In a statement on Wednesday night, they said: “Angela Rayner 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.
“But judging from the room alone – the vast majority of whom were bereaved – no-one supported her decision. But she claims her decision is based on our views.”
Emma O’Connor, who lived on the 20th floor and managed to escape the burning block on the night, said there had been hope among some that while part of the tower might come down, some of it could be retained and “erected into a standing memorial”.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “If it’s really unstable then it should be taken down from the top to the 10th floor, which they say is the most unstable, so it then can be erected into a standing memorial.
“To me, it just seems like if it’s out of sight, it’s definitely out of mind for the people that are actually responsible for the lack of respect to human beings.”
On the format of the meeting, Ms O’Connor said: “It was: ‘I’ve made this decision, I’ll take questions now’.
“We had three questions at a time and then they would reply back to us, but they’re not answering questions, like they’re not saying if the decision is reversible, like to actually make sure that something can be erected at a height, like to have a standing memorial.”
A spokesperson for Grenfell Next Of Kin, a separate group representing some bereaved families, said that while the decision was “obviously a very sensitive and difficult” one, families “understand the hard facts around safety”.
The spokesperson said Ms Rayner had “announced the decision that the tower will have to be carefully deconstructed”.
They added: “For the next of kin of the deceased, that building is a shrine and the death place of their immediate families, their brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, husbands, wives and children – but they understand the hard facts around safety.”
But Grenfell United said the meeting “showed just how upset bereaved and survivors are about not having their views heard or considered in this decision”.
They added: “Ignoring the voices of bereaved on the future of our loved ones’ gravesite is disgraceful and unforgivable”.
Views have varied about what should happen on the site, with some people feeling the tower should remain in place until there are criminal prosecutions over the failings which led to the fire.
The final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, published in September, concluded the disaster was the result of “decades of failure” by government and the construction industry to act on the dangers of flammable materials on high-rise buildings.
Police and prosecutors have previously said investigators would need until the end of 2025 to complete their inquiry, with final decisions on potential criminal charges by the end of 2026.
The near 10-year wait for justice has been described by families as “unbearable”.
Separately, 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.
A Government spokesperson 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.”
