Grenfell to be demolished, bereaved families told
Seventy two people died when the tower block in west London caught fire in June 2017.
The decision follows several years of debate over the future of the 24-storey tower, with some hoping it would remain in place as a lasting reminder of the tragedy and others wanting it replaced with a new memorial.
A formal announcement by the government is expected to made on Friday.
Kimia Zabihyan, representing the group Grenfell Next of Kin which acts for some of the bereaved families, told the BBC she attended the meeting with Rayner where she said the tower would be deconstructed down to the ground level.
She described the meeting as "charged", but said Rayner appeared to have come along with the "best of intentions".
"The deputy prime minister was very clear that she has taken this decision very seriously, that it is a serious responsibility and that it is a very sensitive decision to make, but it is one that she felt she had to make," said Ms Zabihyan, adding that Rayner said she made the decision based on what engineers had recommended.
The government has previously been warned the structure may be unsafe due to the extent of the fire damage.
Ms Zabihyan said she agreed with the decision, but that many people were very unhappy about it.
She said at the meeting, one person told Rayner that "no-one cares about this more than me, because I had just bits of bone to bury of my mother so that building means a lot to me. That is where her soul is, where her ashes are. It's in that building."
Following the meeting, a government spokesperson said: "The priority for the deputy prime minister is to meet with and write to the bereaved, survivors and the immediate community to let them know her decision on the future of the Grenfell Tower.
"This is a deeply personal matter for all those affected, and the deputy prime minister is committed to keeping their voice at the heart of this."
Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk
Grenfell memorial construction could start in 2026
Grenfell Tower future 'must include prosecutions'
Grenfell Report: Key findings from the inquiry
Grenfell's 'path to disaster' that led to 72 deaths
Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indianapolis Star
4 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
Pride flag in Zionsville classroom sparks backlash on social media, legality concerns unclear
A social media post making its way around X and Facebook shows a pride flag hanging inside Zionsville middle school classroom, with the poster calling the display 'PridePaganda.' The account labeled 'HoosierTruth' is run by a conservative radio talk show host Bud Wirey, who said in the post: 'Our children's schools should not have PridePaganda in the classrooms.' Along with the photos, Wirey tagged Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, Sen. Todd Young and Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith. One photo in the post appears to show the classroom of Rachel Beier, an art teacher at Zionsville West Middle School, who has a sign hanging outside her door with rainbow coloring with the words 'safe zone' on it. There is also a second photo in the post that shows a pride flag hanging in a classroom, although it is not clear if that is also Beier's classroom. Beier could not be reached for comment by the time of publication. Wirey told IndyStar via another of his Facebook accounts dubbed "The Shop" that the pictures were sent to him from a parent who wishes to remain anonymous for "fear of repercussions towards their child." He declined a phone interview on the topic. Zionsville Superintendent Rebecca Coffman told IndyStar that the district has a goal to make sure everyone in their community feels welcomed at school. 'For nearly a decade, we have collaborated with families in our community to ensure that the students in our schools are striving to be Strong in Every Way,' Coffman said in an email. 'As part of that district focus, our students created a statement to be reflected in our schools and in our community. In ZCS, everyone belongs.' When asked by IndyStar if the attorney general's office plans to pursue any legal or disciplinary action against the district, school or teacher, a representative said those questions would be better suited for Zionsville's school board and the Indiana Department of Education. A spokesperson at the Indiana Department of Education said it encourages local school districts to deal with these kinds of situations whenever possible. "The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) maintains statutory authority over teacher licensing and discipline matters, investigates complaints received, and files appropriate proceedings seeking teacher discipline when permitted under Indiana law," said Courtney Crown, deputy director of communications for the department. "While those matters vary in subject matter and content, IDOE seeks to substantiate all complaints it receives and assure state and federal laws are followed." The Zionsville School board had not responded to IndyStar's questions by the time of publication. Rokita's office did point to his "Eyes on Education" portal, which allows anyone to send in posts or materials found in schools or about curriculum that they find "objectionable." The portal is meant to help Hoosiers become aware of what is taught in schools and to inform voters, said Josh DeFonce, the communications director for the attorney general's office. "The Eyes on Education portal is not intended to trigger legal action against local schools and the Attorney General's Office does not evaluate submissions for possible legal violations," DeFonce told IndyStar. However, at the top of the submissions page for the Eyes on Education portal, it says, "The Office of the Attorney General will follow up on materials submitted to the portal that may violate Indiana law using our investigative tools, including public records requests, and publish findings on the portal as well." No Indiana law has explicitly outlawed the hanging of certain flags or other classroom decorations, but laws passed in recent years were meant to have more of a chilling effect on what is taught and said in schools. In Rokita's own 'Parents' Bill of Rights,' which explains various topics of Indiana's education policy, it does not mention anything about hanging pride flags or signs for LGBTQ youth being against Indiana law. This year, the Indiana General Assembly approved SB 289, which prohibits diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in publicly-funded schools or government entities, opening the door for anyone to sue them if they are found in violation. Other bills, like HB 1608, passed in 2023, require school administrators to tell parents if their child requests a change of their name, title, or pronoun. Many dubbed it the 'don't say gay' bill and caused an uproar among many Hoosier families, who called it an unnecessary bill that could endanger LGBTQ youth. Zionsville's certified employee and central office staff handbook also does not mention any policy prohibiting pride flags or any other flags from being hung up in classrooms. This also isn't the first time Zionsville schools has come under pressure from Rokita's office. Rokita posted on his office's Facebook page a photo that allegedly shows the entryway of a Zionsville classroom that displays a pride flag with the words 'You are welcome here.' The post caption says, 'Is this what Hoosier taxpayers expect in their middle school math class? Parents in Zionsville are tired of the woke propaganda.' There are also multiple comments in that Facebook post claiming they are Zionsville parents or alumni who are praising the school for being a safe place for LGBTQ youth. Other Indiana schools have faced similar flag scandals. In 2021 Pendleton Heights High School students protested a move by their principal who enacted a policy to remove pride flags from classrooms. In April 2025, a parent of a Decatur Township student was facing charges after showing up to school with a firearm and sending threatening messages to a teacher after accusing the teacher of pushing LGBTQ topics onto their child.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Axing public notices will threaten local democracy, Cleverly tells Rayner
Rachel Reeves' proposal to axe rules that require businesses to share their licence bids in newspapers would threaten the future of local democracy, Sir James Cleverly has told the Government. In a letter to Angela Rayner, the shadow local government secretary said suggestions that statutory notices could be scrapped raised 'concerning questions' about the future of local journalism. He told the PA news agency Government changes had been proposed 'without any consideration' of the effect on local press and could have the 'perverse effect of making it harder for many pubs and clubs to operate.' Last month, the Chancellor said she would look at dropping the requirement for venues such as pubs and restaurants to advertise licensing applications in local newspapers, in a bid to cut red tape for the hospitality sector. Sir James demanded the Government share its assessments of how the move would affect the press amid industry fears that it could interfere with the public's right to know and lead to revenue losses for local journalism. He said that while there was scope to reform the statutory notice regime, 'rather than embracing innovation, it would appear that the Government intends to axe support entirely'. Sir James told PA: 'Labour don't have a clue about the pub and hospitality industry. 'Labour are tying them in red tape and higher taxes. Their proposed changes to licensing rules could have the perverse effect of making it harder for many pubs and clubs to operate. 'Labour's proposed changes to notification on licensing changes has been made without any consideration on the effect on local newspapers, or how to best ensure that the public know about matters which affect their lives. 'Local democracy needs an independent free press, so empowered local representatives are held to account, and local residents have their voice listened to.' In his letter to Ms Rayner, who is Deputy Prime Minister and also Local Government Secretary, Sir James said: 'If local newspapers close down this will be to the detriment of local democracy. 'The devolution of responsibility and finance to local government needs stronger local accountability and transparency to go hand in hand with new powers, and an independent free press is essential to this.' Ministers last month announced a new licensing framework would aim to fast-track permissions for al fresco dining in dedicated areas and make it easier to open new venues. Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Ms Reeves said she would also look at removing the 'outdated rule that means (a business) needs to advertise in locally printed press when applying for a licence'. The remarks prompted a backlash from industry figures, with the News Media Association warning the proposals would amount to a 'betrayal of local communities and the public's right to know'. 'Changing this would, at a stroke, disenfranchise local communities and deprive local journalism of a vital revenue stream,' News Media Association chief executive Owen Meredith said. 'Local pubs, like local papers, are at the heart of their communities and the Government should rightly support them. 'This proposal does nothing to help either. 'It is not a cut to bureaucratic red tape, as framed, but a damaging assault on democratic engagement.' The Government has been contacted for comment.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Nicola Sturgeon says she may move to London as she 'can't breathe freely' in Scotland
Scotland's former first minister Nicola Sturgeon has suggested she might move to London because of the scrutiny she faces in her homeland. The former Scottish National Party leader, 55, spoke of her fondness for the capital in her latest interview to promote her long-awaited memoir 'Frankly'. She also said she sometimes feels "I can't breathe freely in Scotland" because of the attention she receives. Ms Sturgeon told the BBC's Newscast podcast: "This may shock many people to hear, but I love London. "Just for one thing and another. I'm spending a reasonable amount of time in London at the moment, so yeah. Maybe a bit of time down here and who knows. "Suffocating is maybe putting it too strongly, but I feel sometimes I can't breathe freely in Scotland.' In her book, Ms Sturgeon said she is "excited about the next phase" of her life which she jokingly refers to as her "delayed adolescence". In it, she revealed "I might live outside of Scotland for a period' following her divorce from long-term partner Peter Murrell, who was previously the SNP's chief executive. It is understood that Ms Sturgeon moved out of the couple's home in Glasgow after Mr Murrell was arrested and later charged last year over the alleged embezzlement of donations to the party. Mr Murrell made no plea at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in March and he was granted bail. Ms Sturgeon was also detained and questioned by Police Scotland as part of Operation Branchform, but has since been exonerated of wrongdoing. Earlier this year, Ms Sturgeon said she will not seek re-election at the next year's Holyrood election and is preparing for a life outside mainstream politics. She is also considering writing a novel and told STV it could feature a "murder on every page". Her autobiography went on sale on Monday, three days ahead of official publication, after Waterstone's announced publisher Macmillan had not imposed an embargo.
