There has been widespread condemnation of Reform UK’s housing spokesperson after he said the Grenfell tower fire was a “tragedy” but that “everyone dies in the end”.
In an interview with Inside Housing magazine, Simon Dudley described building safety regulations introduced after the 2017 Grenfell tragedy as “regulation which is not working”.
When asked if the fire was not a warning about insufficient, Dudley, who is a former Head of Homes England and joined Reform in February, said it was a “tragedy” and a “failure.”
However, he then added: “Sadly, you know, everyone dies in the end. It’s just how you go, right?”
“Extracting Grenfell from the statistics, actually people dying in house fires is rare. Many, many more people die on the roads driving cars – but we’re not making cars illegal, so why are we stopping houses being built?”
Dudley has been condemned for his comments and is facing calls to resign.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a post on social media that his words were “shameful” and that Nigel Farage should “do the decent thing and sack him.”
This was echoed by housing secretary Steve Reed, who said: “If Nigel Farage has an ounce of decency, he will sack his housing chief immediately.
“These disgraceful comments about those who died in the Grenfell Tower fire are beyond the pale and it is completely untenable for Simon Dudley to continue in his position.”
Meanwhile, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the comments were “sickeningly insensitive” and showed “not an ounce of decency, compassion or respect for the 72 lives lost and wider community.”
He added: “But this isn’t a slip-up or a stumble. This is Reform showing us exactly who they are.”
Grenfell Next of Kin, the group which advocates for the next of kin and immediate families of those who died in the fire, urged Dudley and Reform to apologies.
“The death of our parents, partners, children, siblings grandparents and grandchildren in the most horrific circumstances was gross negligent manslaughter, NOT fate,” the group said.
A Reform UK spokesperson said: “Homes must, of course, be built safely. However, overly burdensome building safety regulations can stifle housebuilding, meaning targets are missed and the waiting list for homes grows longer at a time when we need more.
“Simon’s comments on Grenfell reflected his broader point that the regulatory pendulum has swung too far in response to the tragedy. As he explained, there is a fine balance between overregulation – which can slow the delivery of new homes – and ensuring that more homes are built safely without too much red tape.”