Responding to the official release of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, phase one report Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said:

“The sequence of these reports was ill-conceived. Trying to explain the events of that terrible night without examining key issues about how we got there was mistaken.

“There is no explanation as to why Grenfell Tower was wrapped in ultra-flammable cladding or who was responsible for that.

“Widely repeated statements that it was the fire brigade’s ‘stay put’ policy which led to avoidable deaths are factually incorrect. The coalition government said it would review that policy in 2014, after the Lakanal House disaster. But there has been no published review and ‘stay put’ remains government policy to this day.

“Until these two issues are addressed there will be no justice for Grenfell and future disasters of this type are possible.”

Shadow Minister for Fire Services Karen Lee MP added:

“The firefighters who responded to the Grenfell Tower disaster were in life-threatening danger and acted with courage and professionalism.

“By choosing to focus on the Fire and Emergency Services response in phase one, the inquiry has blamed individual firefighters rather than hold to account those who ignored expert advice by continuing to deregulate building safety and those who chose to wrap Grenfell Tower in dangerous flammable materials.

The Conservative Government has dragged its heels since the disaster. There has been no review of stay-put, nothing to ensure sprinklers are installed and no adequate reforms of building regulations.

“It’s time that the government put people before private profit, prioritised delivering justice for the local community and confronting the fire safety threat to our communities.”

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