Sir Tony Blair has faced fierce criticism from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) after stating that tragedies like the Grenfell Tower fire are inevitable because “people are going to make mistakes”. The former prime minister made the comments during an interview on Sky News’ Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge.
Asked if the Grenfell fire, along with scandals like the infected blood crisis and the Post Office scandal, pointed to a failure of government leadership, Blair responded, “however good your system is, however well-intentioned, people are going to make mistakes.” He added that while accountability is important, it is unrealistic to expect a system where such tragedies can be entirely avoided.
Matt Wrack, general secretary of the FBU, condemned Blair’s remarks as “despicable” and accused the former Labour leader of being out of touch. “Tony Blair’s comments are the remarks of a multi-millionaire who has lost touch with the reality of people’s lives,” Wrack said. He emphasised that the 72 deaths in the Grenfell fire were “wholly avoidable” and not the result of innocent mistakes, but of a “systematic disregard for the safety of residents.”
Wrack also linked Blair to the deregulation policies that contributed to the disaster, claiming that during his time as prime minister, Blair was an “enthusiastic supporter” of the deregulation agenda that prioritised private profit over public safety. “At the heart of this agenda is a disdain for working-class people,” Wrack added.
The controversy follows the publication of the final report from the independent inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, which found “systematic dishonesty” among those responsible for the building’s combustible cladding and insulation. The report condemned the UK’s regulatory system for high-rise buildings as “seriously defective” and criticised the government for failing to act on known risks associated with cladding, dating back to 1991.
Wrack’s rebuke comes as other political figures, including former prime minister David Cameron, issued apologies for the failures that led to the tragedy. In a statement, Cameron acknowledged that “mistakes were made over too many years” and expressed his regret that community concerns were often ignored.
Sir Tony Blair has yet to respond to the FBU’s comments.
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