Reform Grenfell backlash – RECAP: Nigel Farage sacks housing spokesman after ‘shameful’ feedback
Nigel Farage has sacked the Reform housing spokesman who described the Grenfell Tower fire as a “tragedy” but that “everyone dies in the end”.
The Reform UK leader announced the decision after being challenged over the comments made by Simon Dudley, a former executive at Homes England.
The PM has branded the comments “shameful”, adding ” Nigel Farage should do the decent thing and sack him”.
Grenfell United, which represents many of the families bereaved by the fire as well as survivors, said the comments were “not just insensitive” but “deeply dehumanising”.
Catch up below…
Our live coverage concludes
Thanks for reading, that concludes our live coverage. You can find more from the team here.
Nigel Farage sacks housing spokesman
Here is the full story on the sacking of Reform’s housing spokesman over his Grenfell comments.
Reform to go after civil service pensions
Earlier in the press conference, Robert Jenrick announced his party will consider whether new civil servants can continue to access “gold-plated” pensions schemes.
He said: “Such schemes were phased out in the private sector decades ago. They represent the Government’s second largest financial liability.
“The old parties almost never discuss them. But if we care about balancing the books fairly, we can’t keep ducking this issue.”
Shelter brands Grenfell comments ‘shameful’
Sarah Elliott, Chief Executive of Shelter, said: “Simon Dudley’s comments about the Grenfell Tower Fire are shameful. Last year’s inquiry found that all 72 deaths from the fire were avoidable.
“Let’s be clear, no one should have to live in a home that could kill them. Grenfell was the result of horrendous housing injustice that we must not tolerate. It is wrong to suggest we have to make a choice between safe homes or no homes.
“We will only solve the housing emergency when building homes that are safe, secure and genuinely affordable becomes a priority for all politicians and parties.”
Press conference concludes
That concludes the press conference, but we’ll have plenty more reaction and details here. Stay tuned.
Donald Trump ‘won’t leave NATO’
Nigel Farage insists Donald Trump, who has said he could leave NATO, won’t actually leave NATO.
He says: “Trump wants the rest of NATO to act in concert with him”.
Nigel Farage hits out after being asked to apologise
Nigel Farage hits out after being asked to apologise to the victims of Grenfell offended by the comments.
He said: “I will apologise for everything that’s happened in the last couple of hundred years. This is modern journalism isn’t it. Apologise, apologise, apologise.”
Nigel Farage says UK responds to tragedy with ‘regulation’
Nigel Farage repeats his criticism of the former Reform housing spokesman.
He says: “In terms of judgement, what was said in the interview, was frankly, rather upsetting to a very large number of people.
“In general terms, we tend to respond to tragedy by putting masses of regulation in place, which doesn’t necessarily stop those tragedies from ever happening again”.
Nigel Farage defends sacking announcement
Nigel Farage has defended not telling Reform members Simon Dudley was sacked until he was asked about it at a press conference.
He says: “It happened about an hour ago. It’s for Richard Tice to make that announcement. I’m sorry, it’s not a one man band. “
Nigel Farage claims London is ‘broken’
Nigel Farage now attacking Sadiq Khan, claiming that shoplifting has been “decriminalised”.
He says: “London is broken. Londin is lawless.”
His intervention comes shortly after London won the 2026 Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize, recognising the city’s outstanding achievements in urban development, innovation, and long-term strategic leadership.
Gas rationing a ‘possibility’, Nigel Farage says
The Reform UK leader says gas rationing later this year is a “possibility”.
He adds: “Gas rationing is a possibility by late summert his year”.
Nigel Farage ‘not angry’ with Trump over Iran
Nigel Farage says he’s “not” angry over Donald Trump’s war in Iran.
He says it goes against the instincts of the US president, and that he may have been persuaded by Israel.
Mr Farage adds: “If the goal of removing Iran as a nuclear power is achieved, the world will have been done a massive favour”.
Nigel Farage criticises Kemi Badenoch over ‘drill baby drill’ vow
Nigel Farage criticises Kemi Badenoch over saying “drill baby drill” at an oil rig, saying it was a decomissioning rig, closed due to Tory taxes.
Reform UK not a ‘one man band’
Nigel Farage has claimed delegating the sacking shows Reform UK is not a one man band.
He says: “I’ve got a leader of Scotland, a leader in Wales, I’ve got four people who’ve taken their own departments, and they’re in charge of those departments.
“This takes us so far away from the old criticism of being a one mand band”.
Nigel Farage didn’t speak to sacked housing spokesperson
Nigel Farage says he didn’t speak to Simon Dudley, and he was sacked by Richard Tice.
The Reform UK leader says: “I haven’t spoken to him, he’s under Richard Tice’s department. The comments were deeply inappropiate, they were frankly shocking to many people, and Richard has dealt with it”.
Nigel Farage sacks housing spokesman over Grenfell comments
Nigel Farage has sacked his housing spokesman over his comments around Grenfell.
Asked about it, the Reform UK leader says: “That’s already happened”.
Reform now facing questions from journalists
The two men are now facing questions from journalists.
Robert Jenrick promises £40 billion of savings
Robert Jenrick, who was a Tory under Boris Johnson, hits out at the “Boriswave”.
He says: “We’ve already indentified over £40 billion fo savings. We are the only country that won’t duck the difficult decisions”.
Robert Jenrick promises to ‘balance the books’
Robert Jenrick, who was a Tory under Liz Truss, is now talking about how he wants to “balance the books”, and promises to “reset Government spending”.
Robert Jenrick says Labour would ‘pull rug’ from under pensioners
Robert Jenrick is now discussing energy bills, and repeats his call to drill the North Sea for “every last drop”.
He then claims Labour will pull the rug from under pensioners.
Nigel Farage promises ‘biggest cuts to benefits’
Nigel Farage opens by promising to protect the triple lock by bringing in the biggest cuts to benefits ever seen.
Nigel Farage begins press conference
Nigel Farage has arrived at the press conference and started speaking.
Grenfell survivors group condemn Reform comments
Grenfell bereaved and survivors said comments by Reform UK’s housing spokesman about the 2017 fire were “deeply dehumanising”.
Simon Dudley had said the Grenfell Tower fire was a “tragedy” but that “everyone dies in the end”.
Grenfell United, which represents some bereaved and survivors, said in a Thursday statement: “Our loved ones did not simply ‘die.’ They were failed. They were trapped in their homes, in a building that should have been safe, in a fire that should never have happened. Reducing their deaths to an inevitability strips away the truth: this was preventable.
“To speak about Grenfell in this way is to erase responsibility. It suggests this was just fate, just ‘how it goes,’ rather than the result of years of ignored warnings, poor decisions, and a failure to value the lives of residents, and is deeply offensive and ill informed.
“Everyone deserves the right to a safe home. But this attitude clearly shows Simon Dudley is not the man to ensure that happens.”
Labour accuse Reform spokesman of being ‘happy’ with Grenfell comments
Labour has accused Simon Dudley of standing by comments, pointing out he’s been sharing his interview online.
A Labour source said: “He has shared coverage of the offending interview – including the vile quote on Grenfell deaths – and it’s still up on his feed. He was clearly very happy with the write-up. His weasel word apology isn’t good enough. It’s unbelievable that Farage hasn’t sacked him.”
Nigel Farage branded ‘charlatan’ as Labour launches major ad campaign
The press conference comes as Labour accused Nigel Farage of being a “charlatan” pretending to be on the side of working people in a major ad campaign.
Labour Party chair Anna Turley said it will expose Reform’s record to voters and warn of the “real-world consequences of Farage getting even a whiff of power”.
Farage urged to sack housing spokesman over ‘sickeningly insensitive’ Grenfell ‘everyone dies’ comment
Keir Starmer has told Nigel Farage to sack his housing spokesman after he described the Grenfell Tower fire as a “tragedy” but that “everyone dies in the end”.
Simon Dudley, a former executive at Homes England and the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, claimed the pendulum had “swung too far the wrong way” on regulation following the devastating blaze at the west London tower block in 2017.
The Reform UK leader is expected to face questions about the comments.
Nigel Farage to host press conference
Good morning. Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick will be appearing at a press conference around 11am, and we’ll have all the latest as it happens.
