Arabic version: دعوات لإقالة سايمون دادلي من إصلاح المملكة المتحدة بسبب تصريحاته المثيرة للجدل

Labour leader Keir Starmer has urged Nigel Farage to sack Simon Dudley, Reform UK’s new housing spokesperson, following his controversial comments regarding the Grenfell Tower fire. Dudley described the tragic event as a “failure” but controversially added that “everyone dies in the end,” sparking outrage among victims’ families and political leaders.

According to The Guardian, Dudley’s remarks came during an interview with Inside Housing magazine, where he criticized building safety regulations established after the 2017 disaster. He argued that while the Grenfell fire was a tragedy, the focus should be on the broader context of safety regulations, stating, “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?”

The Grenfell Next of Kin group, which advocates for families affected by the fire, demanded an apology from Dudley and Reform UK, stating, “The death of our parents, partners, children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren in the most horrific circumstances was gross negligent manslaughter, NOT fate.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also condemned Dudley’s comments, labeling them as shameful. He supported Starmer’s call for Dudley’s dismissal, stating that Farage should take responsibility for the remarks. Meanwhile, the Fire Brigades Union criticized Dudley’s statements as “disgusting and shocking,” highlighting the insensitivity towards the families of Grenfell victims.

A spokesperson for Reform UK defended Dudley, indicating that his comments reflected a broader concern over building regulations stifling housing development. Dudley, who previously held significant roles in housing and banking, joined Reform UK in February, advocating for a more balanced approach to housing regulations. He expressed frustration over the lack of quality homes available for British citizens, attributing it to the combination of high immigration levels and insufficient new housing developments.