Companies brace for criticism as final report on Grenfell released

Companies and public authorities involved in the Grenfell Tower refurbishment are braced for wideranging criticisms when the final public inquiry report on the 2017 disaster is released at 11am today.

- Robert Booth

The 1,700 page report is expected to turn the spotlight on serious failings among national and local politicians, builders, material manufacturers and sales people, fire testing experts and the London fire brigade. The inquiry chair, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, and his inquiry panel colleagues, the architect Thouria Istephan and housing expert Ali Akbor, will also make multiple recommendations to the government to ensure such a disaster is not repeated.

Hundreds of bereaved people and survivors granted core participant status in the £200m inquiry were shown the report yesterday to allow them to digest in private what many hope will be a landmark moment in their fight for justice.

The report, published seven years after the fire, was delayed from earlier in the summer in part due to the high number of people - about 250who faced criticism and needed to be informed in advance.

Keir Starmer will respond to the report in the House of Commons at lunchtime and the Metropolitan police have said they will deploy detectives on the Operation Northleigh team investigating possible criminal charges to comb through the findings.