Race ‘inextricably linked’ to Grenfell Tower disaster
THE Grenfell Tower inquiry has been urged not to ignore ‘the impact of race and poverty’ in the disaster.
Leslie Thomas QC, acting for a group of survivors and bereaved families, yesterday began with a statement on how the issue of race was ‘inextricably linked’ to the tragedy and the ‘elephant in the room’.
Mr Thomas urged the panel to ‘be on the right side of history’.
The barrister said Grenfell ‘did not happen in a vacuum’, drawing parallels with the coronavirus pandemic and the killing of unarmed black man George Floyd in the US, which he said had ‘parallel themes’.
Mr Thomas noted a ‘ disproportionate number’ of those who have died from Covid-19 were ‘people of colour’ and Mr Floyd’s last words were: ‘I can’t breathe.’
He added: ‘These were a chilling reminder of the experiences of survivors and sadly were some of the last words of those who died in this tragedy.’
Fifty seven of the 72 victims of the June 2017 fire in Kensington, west London, were from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, according to legal submissions. Mr Thomas noted the disaster happened in one of the richest boroughs of London but affected the predominantly working class. ‘That is the stark reality that cannot be ignored,’ he added.
The Grenfell Next of Kin group has called for the inquiry to ‘investigate the extent of institutional racism as a factor’ in the tragedy.
Earlier, Tottenham Labour MP David Lammy said: ‘I do think issues of structural discrimination and disadvantage play a role.’
He urged the panel to make them central to the way it conducts the inquiry.