Reform UK Sacks Housing Spokesman Over 'Inappropriate' Grenfell Remarks

Reform UK Sacks Housing Spokesman Over Grenfell Remarks

Reform UK has confirmed the dismissal of its housing spokesperson, Simon Dudley, after he made a series of contentious remarks concerning the Grenfell Tower fire. Mr Dudley, who joined the party in February, described the 2017 tragedy as a "failure" but controversially added that "everyone dies in the end". He also labelled building safety regulations introduced in the wake of the disaster as "regulation which is not working".

The comments, made in an interview with Inside Housing magazine, drew immediate condemnation from the Grenfell Next of Kin group, who branded them as "ignorant and callous". They stated that the deaths in Grenfell Tower were "gross negligent manslaughter, not fate", and emphasised the necessity of robust building safety standards, citing examples from across Europe.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage confirmed Mr Dudley was "no longer a spokesman for the party", stating the comments were "deeply inappropriate" and "rather shocking". The sacking followed calls from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who urged Mr Farage to "do the decent thing" and remove him.

Mr Dudley, a former executive at Homes England and leader of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, had argued in the interview that while Grenfell was a tragedy, statistics on house fire deaths were rare. He questioned why extensive building regulations were imposed when more people died on roads, a comparison widely criticised by political figures, including Housing Secretary Steve Reed and Green Party MP Siân Berry, who described the remarks as "beyond the pale" and representing "a new low" in disrespect for the victims.