Sir Keir Starmer has said it is “unforgivable” that hundreds of buildings still have Grenfell-style cladding on them three years after the tragedy.
According to the latest available Government figures, 300 high-rise towers are still waiting the completion of remediation work for ACM cladding. Of those, 140 have started work and 54 have had ACM cladding removed.
This is despite former Communities Secretary James Brokenshire saying in a written statement last year that he expected all remediation work to be finished by June 2020.
Sunday will mark the third anniversary of the west London fire that killed 72 people.
Sir Keir told the Standard: “It is unforgivable three years on. If we go back to that night…it really does haunt everybody across the country.
“The idea that three years later we would still be saying there are some blocks – quite a number of blocks – with cladding on similar to that at Grenfell. Most people would say what on earth is going on?
“Simply saying it’s too difficult or there are good reasons is not acceptable. It is unforgivable and it needs to be sorted out urgently.”
He made the comments after a virtual meeting with residents in Barnet in which he was quizzed on everything from knife crime to business. It is part of a series of virtual meetings he is holding across the UK.
Sir Keir added: “There still hasn’t been justice for the survivors and their families three years down the line.”
Grenfell campaigners have also called on the Government to commit to a deadline to remove all flammable cladding.
Justice4Grenfell group is asking people to write to their MPs demanding a time limit and a detailed plan for how and when cladding will be removed.
The Government says it "has been working tirelessly" with councils to remove unsafe cladding.
