East London fire fuelled by profits and cuts

At 3am bank holiday Monday, a major fire consumed another London tower block covered in flammable cladding.

Residents pounded on their neighbours’ doors to get them to flee, reporting that no fire alarms could be heard.

80 people fled into the street in Dagenham, east London, relying on each other for their safety. Firefighters risked their own lives to save 20 more survivors from the seven-storey building. Many have lost all their possessions, their children traumatised for life.

The London Fire Brigade shed 27 fire appliances, closed ten fire stations and cut 552 firefighters when Boris Johnson was London Mayor. Labour’s Sadiq Khan has not reversed these cuts during his time in office, vital response times have increased to a record high.