The Yorkshire Post says: Grenfell memorial offers solace - but how can government win back victims' trust?

Exactly six months after Britain was shaken to its foundations by the Grenfell Tower tragedy, today's national memorial at St Paul's Cathedral will, hopefully, offer some solace and comfort for the victims of this terrible tragedy while also acknowledging the bravery of the emergency services and goodwill of all those individuals, and organisations, who are still assisting the survivors.
Grenfell TowerGrenfell Tower
Grenfell Tower

Yet this dignified service will also be traumatic for many – some have expressly asked that Conservative councillors, and senior officials, from Kensington and Chelsea Council do not attend the commemorations.

Emotions are still very raw and the public inquiry now underway has so far not managed to assuage those whose lives, and families, were ruined by this disaster.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

That said, it’s right that Theresa May attends. Criticised for showing insufficient empathy in the inferno’s immediate aftermath, the Prime Minister has learned lessons from the mishandling of previous disasters, such as Hillsborough – establishing the truth is as important as the urgent need to find permanent accommodation for all those people who are still leading a nomadic existence while coming to terms with their mental and physical scars.

However, while Mrs May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn traded statistics at Prime Minister’s Questions, both ignored the key issue pertaining to Grenfell – a lack of trust in authority.

Until the Government and other public agencies prove their trustworthiness, whether it be over their treatment of victims or policies like the fitting of sprinklers in high-rise buildings, the scepticism will remain.