Grenfell Tower fire 'inextricably linked to race' as inquiry urged to be on 'right side of history'

The Grenfell Tower fire that killed 72 people was "inextricably linked to race," a lawyer for survivors and victims' families has said.

Leslie Thomas QC told the inquiry into the causes of the June 2017 fire that it "must not ignore" how race and poverty affected the disaster.

And he urged investigators to be on "the right side of history" when examining the causes of the fire in the west London tower block.

Mr Thomas said in his opening statement: "The Grenfell fire did not happen in a vacuum. A majority of the Grenfell residents who died were people of colour.

"Grenfell is inextricably linked with race. It is the elephant in the room. This disaster happened in a pocket of one of the smallest yet richest boroughs in London.

"Yet the community affected was predominantly working-class. That is the stark reality that cannot be ignored."

The Grenfell Next of Kin group has called for the inquiry to “investigate the extent of institutional racism as a factor” in the tragedy June 2017.

Legal submissions to the inquiry show that four of the 72 people who lost their lives were visiting Grenfell, while one, Logan Gomes, was a stillborn baby.

The submissions add: "Of the remaining 67, 57 were from BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) communities.

“In the English Housing Survey 2017-2018, it was found that 40 per cent of those living in high rise buildings in the social rented sector are black, Asian or other.

"This, compared to the percent of the population (14 per cent), is high.”

Mr Thomas told Sir Martin Moore-Bick, chairman of the inquiry: “I place this charge to this inquiry. You, sir and your panel, this is your time of action to break the cycle of disengagement with the issue of race and inequality.

“What will this inquiry be remembered for? You will undoubtedly want it to be on the right side of history.

“Our client’s perception is that the inquiry is deaf to their concerns.”

Mr Thomas' comments come after the inquiry heard on Monday that a senior fire safety engineer thought that Grenfell's deadly cladding would not cause any safety "issues".

The first phase of the inquiry found that cladding fuelled the fire. The second phase is aiming to work out how the fire could have taken place.

The inquiry resumed this week after a four-month break due to coronavirus lockdown.

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