Grenfell Tower victims’ fury over Government plans to splash £1.3 MILLION on Parliament safety sprinklers

GRENFELL Towers victims are furious at "shameful" Government plans to spent £1.3 million on retrofitting sprinklers in the Houses of Parliament when thousands of residents in high-rise towers blocks are reportedly waiting for the same safety measures.

Some local councils say they have been told there is NO Government cash to retrofit sprinklers even after the devastating blaze in June.

But reports that the retrofit sprinkler system for the Palace of Westminster is part of a massive £118million fire safety package.

At least 80 people were killed in the blaze in North Kensington, London.

The 24-storey tower underwent a multi-million pound renovation project which was completed last year - but still had no sprinkler system installed and residents had raised safety concerns.

Helen Gebremeskel, who lived in Grenfell for 20 years, was on the 21st floor with daughter Lulya, 12, when the fire broke out and they "just escaped with their lives" but lost "dear friends in the inferno".

Ms Gebremeskel was shocked to learn that the Government was making such an investment in fire safety measures.

“I am disgusted the Tory Government can find money to retrofit sprinklers in the Palace of Westminster but won’t fund local councils to retrofit sprinklers in ordinary social housing high rise blocks around the country," she said.

"All lives matter, all lives should be protected."

Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn told the Sunday Mirror: "The life of a tower block resident is worth just as much as the life of an MP or peer."

The Sunday People reports that Alok Sharma, a housing minister, recently declined Nottingham City Council’s plea for £6million to provide sprinklers in 13 towers, saying the measures were "additional rather than essential".

Labour is demanding that the Government set aside £1billion to retrofit tower blocks with sprinklers.

Corbyn said in a speech on Thursday: “The Government is failing to learn the lessons from this tragedy.

"Grenfell was an entirely avoidable human disaster that must not be repeated."

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