Thurrock Labour joins call for government to make high-rise homes safe
THE Thurrock Labour Party has added its voice to the campaign calling on the government to provide the funds to fit sprinklers in high-rise accommodation.
Following on from the tragic events at Grenfell Tower, in which dozens of people died, the Labour Party has demanded a national response from Theresa May’s Tory government.
The Labour Party has said that £1 billion should be set aside in the upcoming budget to fund the retrofitting of sprinklers into all council and housing association tower blocks to help prevent another fire tragedy.
Speaking in support of the campaign Labour Councillor for Tilbury Riverside Bukky Okunade, who has several high-rise towers in her ward, said “With over 1000 people living in high-rise homes in Thurrock, this campaign is hugely important to us.
Research shows that sprinklers help to extinguish or contain fires in 99% of cases, yet only around 2% of tower blocks in our country have sprinkler systems.”
“After years of cuts by the Tory Westminster government local councils cannot afford to pay to have sprinkler systems installed – the Chancellor must provide the money to make tower blocks safe in his upcoming budget.”
“The tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire must not be repeated. Thurrock residents living in high-rises deserve to have properly protected homes. The Tory Chancellor is spending around £100 million on fire safety updates in Parliament, if he can find the money for MPs he can find it for tower block residents as well.”
If you want to support the Labour Party’s campaign to make all homes safe now you can sign their letter to Theresa May here https://action.labour.org.uk/page/s/make-homes-safe/
