MPs have been criticised for leaving the Commons chamber before the Prime Minister gave a statement on the Grenfell Tower disaster.
The statement took place on Wednesday, directly after Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs).
Whilst the chamber was packed with MPs during PMQs, there were many empty seats during the Grenfell statement.
Keir Starmer gave a statement after the Grenfell inquiry published its final report on Wednesday morning, concluding that the devastating fire which killed 72 people in 2017 was the result of “decades of failure” by central government and the construction industry.
The Prime Minister told the Commons: “I want to start with an apology on behalf of the British state to each and every one of you, and indeed to all of the families affected by this tragedy.
“It should never have happened. The country failed to discharge its most fundamental duty, to protect you and your loved ones, the people that we are here to serve, and I am deeply sorry.”
He added that he supported calls for the companies involved in the disaster to be banned from receiving government contracts, and that the Government would support the Metropolitan Police’s investigation into the fire.
Some commentators criticised MPs for leaving before the statement was heard, particularly as the families of some of the victims were present in the gallery.
ITV’s political editor Robert Peston said: “I was genuinely a bit upset when I looked at the chamber, actually vast numbers of MPs simply left after Prime Minister’s Questions.
'There were lots of empty seats....I was really quite shocked'@Peston says he was surprised by how many MPs left the Commons before the prime minister's statement on the Grenfell Inquiry report. pic.twitter.com/WtX5Ol0GDS
— ITV News (@itvnews) September 4, 2024
“I thought, for this statement, it would be bursting at the seams with MPs. It wasn’t.
“There were lots and lots of empty seats there, and I was quite shocked by that.”
He added: “Grenfell, I think for anyone who’s not a child, was one of the defining moments in this country’s history over the last 30 years.
“I just assumed every MP would want to be here, and they weren’t. I thought that was really quite shocking.”
Grenfell United, which represents some of the bereaved families, said: “It comes as no surprise that the House emptied just hours after the judge announced the publication of the phase 2 report.
“It shows how many of those within the political elite are a part of the disregard, indifference and incompetence that contributed to the deaths of our 72.”
