Grenfell Tower Inquiry Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Sarah Hall
Main Page: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)Department Debates - View all Sarah Hall's debates with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
(1 week, 3 days ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Sarah Hall (Warrington South) (Lab/Co-op)
On 14 June 2017, the country watched in horror as images of the fire engulfing Grenfell Tower emerged. I felt it in the pit of my stomach as the true scale of the devastation and loss of life became apparent. This tragedy should never have happened. I will call it out for what it is: a national scandal.
I hope that the family, friends and community affected by the fire can find some peace in the fight for justice, but as I stand here I am reminded of another disaster: the Summerland fire in 1973, with combustible cladding, critical matters of safety of life ignored and disregarded, and a catalogue of failures. Fifty people died in that fire, including 11 children, and many more were injured. Those events were 44 years apart but the parallels are all too clear.
Speaking in 2013, a photographer called Noel Howarth, who captured pictures of the fire as it engulfed the Summerland leisure complex, said:
“Unless we learn from history, we will repeat the mistakes we made in history”.
Whether it is 2017 or 1973, justice must be served and lessons must be learned. Both campaigns for justice have my full support.