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| John McDonnell: Grenfell victims 'murdered by political decisions' | John McDonnell: Grenfell victims 'murdered by political decisions' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Labour's John McDonnell has claimed victims of the Grenfell Tower fire were "murdered" by "political decisions". | Labour's John McDonnell has claimed victims of the Grenfell Tower fire were "murdered" by "political decisions". |
| Speaking at Glastonbury Festival on Sunday, the shadow chancellor blamed the decision to "view housing as only for financial speculation". | |
| At least 79 people are feared to have died in the fire in west London, which began in the early hours of 14 June. | At least 79 people are feared to have died in the fire in west London, which began in the early hours of 14 June. |
| Housing minister Alok Sharma said it was "disappointing" that people wanted to make it "a party political issue". | |
| It is thought the building's recently-installed cladding may have helped the fire to spread. | It is thought the building's recently-installed cladding may have helped the fire to spread. |
| Cladding is being tested from as many as 600 tower blocks across England. | |
| So far, cladding on 60 high-rise buildings in 25 areas has failed, and none has passed. | So far, cladding on 60 high-rise buildings in 25 areas has failed, and none has passed. |
| The prime minister ordered a public inquiry on 15 June and she is due to chair a meeting of the Grenfell Tower Recovery Taskforce on Monday. | The prime minister ordered a public inquiry on 15 June and she is due to chair a meeting of the Grenfell Tower Recovery Taskforce on Monday. |
| Mr McDonnell, the MP for Hayes and Harlington, was speaking in a panel debate at Glastonbury's Left Field event, chaired by Guardian journalist John Harris. | |
| He said: "Is democracy working? It didn't work if you were a family living on the 20th floor of Grenfell Tower. | He said: "Is democracy working? It didn't work if you were a family living on the 20th floor of Grenfell Tower. |
| "Those families, those individuals - 79 so far and there will be more - were murdered by political decisions that were taken over recent decades. | "Those families, those individuals - 79 so far and there will be more - were murdered by political decisions that were taken over recent decades. |
| "The decision not to build homes and to view housing as only for financial speculation rather than for meeting a basic human need made by politicians over decades murdered those families. | "The decision not to build homes and to view housing as only for financial speculation rather than for meeting a basic human need made by politicians over decades murdered those families. |
| "The decision to close fire stations and to cut 10,000 fire fighters and then to freeze their pay for over a decade contributed to those deaths inevitably, and they were political decisions." | "The decision to close fire stations and to cut 10,000 fire fighters and then to freeze their pay for over a decade contributed to those deaths inevitably, and they were political decisions." |
| A source close to Mr McDonnell confirmed the quotes were accurate. | A source close to Mr McDonnell confirmed the quotes were accurate. |
| Mr Sharma, who replaced Gavin Barwell as the housing minister following the general election, said the cladding in question had been installed over a wide time period and under councils controlled by different political parties. | |
| Pressed on a timescale to complete the testing, he said the government was working "round the clock" to get the work done. | |
| Over the weekend, Camden Council evacuated 650 people from four tower blocks in Swiss Cottage area, after London Fire Brigade raised concerns about cladding, gas pipe insulation, and fire doors. | Over the weekend, Camden Council evacuated 650 people from four tower blocks in Swiss Cottage area, after London Fire Brigade raised concerns about cladding, gas pipe insulation, and fire doors. |
| The four blocks were renovated by Rydon between 2006 and 2009 - the same company which oversaw the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower from 2015 to 2016. | The four blocks were renovated by Rydon between 2006 and 2009 - the same company which oversaw the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower from 2015 to 2016. |
| Buildings have been also declared unsafe in Doncaster, Norwich, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland, Manchester, Plymouth and Portsmouth. | Buildings have been also declared unsafe in Doncaster, Norwich, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland, Manchester, Plymouth and Portsmouth. |
| In Scotland, Holyrood is going to hold its own investigation into the safety of tower blocks, expanding an ongoing inquiry into housing and building regulations. | |
| The Scottish Government has already said that no council or housing association high-rise block has cladding of the type believed to have been used in Grenfell Tower. | |
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