By Akanshya Gurung

September 14th marked the formal opening of the Grenfell inquiry, exactly 3 months on from the tragic Grenfell Tower Fire. Many hope that justice will finally be served for the residents—80 whom did not survive. And while the initial disaster garnered widespread national sympathy, there is the worry that the “People are being forgotten about” (Emma Dent Coad MP).

We must not let this happen. There is an unprecedented importance to keep Grenfell, and the inequality it represents, an ongoing discussion.

For years, Grenfell Tower and other block towers were seen as a stain on Kensington and Chelsea, a famously affluent area. It continued to serve the ugly reality that while Kensington is the richest constituency in the UK, the borough of Kensington and Chelsea also has some of the most deprived areas—an almost haunting representation of the inequality in austerity Britain. And nothing made this contrast between the rich and the poor starker than when it was revealed that the exterior cladding, which caused the fire to ignite so fast and so wide, was installed for aesthetic purposes to please the richer residents of the constituency.

The man made tragedy of Grenfell Tower came as a consequence of the failures of the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO), and the Conservative-led Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council who neglected their residents. They have since been the subject of much scrutiny and anger and rightly so. Not only were the concerns of the Grenfell Tower residents ignored, they were even, at one point, suppressed with the threat of legal action against the Grenfell Action Group by the council in 2013. Grenfell Action Group, a residents organisation, had highlighted their worries over fire safety and inadequate regulations since 2013. In 2016, they even published an erringly foreshadowing post titled ‘KCTMO—Playing with fire!’. Yet the building had no sprinkler system, an inadequate fire alarm system, only one staircase as an evacuation point and cladding and insulation that had failed safety tests.

Why were they not listened to? Why were their concerns ignored? ‘People died because they were poor’ as rapper Akala simply puts it.

Theresa May had promised to rehouse all the surviving victims within 3 weeks. It was later quickly clarified that this meant temporary housing, not permanent housing. Only 3 families have moved into permanent new homes. Around 150 families are still in temporary accommodation all across London. 22 other offers of permanent housing have been accepted, but have yet to move in. And sadly, since the fire, 20 suicide attempts have been reported while around 200 Fire Brigade staff involved with the rescue have received counselling, 80 who have continued. With so much physical and emotional loss, the mental health of those affected from this horrific disaster has clearly taken a toll.

While many were shocked at the election of a Labour MP in Kensington at the 2017 General Election, a seat never won by Labour before, the Grenfell Tower Fire may serve as some explanation. It showcased that the rife inequality and huge wealth disparity in the area needed to be addressed. Emma Dent Coad was only 4 days into her new role when the fire happened.

And it is easy to see why the Grenfell residents and campaigners are especially frustrated as a similar fire had occurred on a much smaller scale in July 2009: The Lakanal Tower fire. The fire took place in a South London tower block, claimed 6 lives and injured at least 20. Despite shock and horror after the tragedy, it seems nothing much was achieved as a consequence: only 2% of the UK’s council tower blocks have a full sprinkler system—the poor are, once again, pushed to the bottom of the priority list.

Meanwhile, just in 2016, the Conservatives voted against a housing bill which stated that landlords were required to make sure their homes are fit for habitation. The Conservatives succeeded in voting down this bill (312 votes to 219), denying people basic tenants’ rights. It does not come as a surprise, therefore, to discover that 72 of those MPs are landlords themselves— this bill would not have been in their personal financial interests. The austerity-driven Conservative government have also slashed funding for fire emergency services- those who so bravely tackled the fire to rescue as many people as possible- as more than 10,000 firefighters have been cut for the last 7 years. In London alone, we have seen the closures of 10 fire stations and the loss of 27 fire engines. These cuts have increased the dangers of injury, death and response greatly.

The systematic failures of the council and the government have resulted in the worst possible outcome: around 80 deaths (though numbers are still to be confirmed and many residents expect this to be higher), over 70 injuries, 151 homes destroyed and a community snatched within mere hours. Now, the charred tower continues to loom a shadow over those responsible; but is also a constant and cruel reminder for the victims.

The same phrase keeps being floated: this cannot happen again. But it did happen before, as we saw with the Lakanal House fire, and it will happen again unless we demand a change from the top. Keep the conversation around Grenfell alive. #Justice4Grenfell