Reform UK has terminated its housing spokesman, Simon Dudley, following controversial comments he made about the Grenfell Tower disaster, which claimed 72 lives in 2017.
Dudley, who joined the party in February and previously held executive roles at Homes England and the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, described the fire as a "tragedy" but added that "everyone dies in the end" in an interview with Inside Housing magazine. He also criticized post-Grenfell building safety regulations as "not working."
"Sadly, you know, everyone dies in the end. It's just how you go, right?" Dudley stated in the interview.
Reform leader Nigel Farage confirmed the dismissal at a press conference, stating that Dudley was "no longer a spokesman for the party." Farage noted that the comments were "deeply inappropriate" and "frankly rather shocking to many people."
The Grenfell Next of Kin group, representing bereaved families, condemned Dudley's remarks as "ignorant and callous." Kimia Zabihyan from the group said: "His comments are nothing but ignorant and misinformed. The death of our loved ones in the most horrific circumstances was gross negligent manslaughter, not fate."
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had earlier urged Farage to sack Dudley, posting on social media that he should "do the decent thing."
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry concluded that the fire was entirely preventable, resulting from systemic failures in building regulation, industry dishonesty over fire safety, and serious failings by government and emergency services.
Dudley argued in his interview that "extracting Grenfell from the statistics, actually people dying in house fires is rare," comparing it to road deaths and questioning why housing construction should be slowed by regulations.
Green Party MP Siân Berry called Dudley's suggestion that safety rules "have gone too far" a "new low," adding that it showed "disrespect to the victims of Grenfell."
Before the sacking, a Reform UK spokesperson stated: "Homes must, of course, be built safely. However, overly burdensome building safety regulations can stifle house building... Simon's comments reflected his broader point that the regulatory pendulum has swung too far in response to the tragedy."
Housing Secretary Steve Reed described Dudley's comments as "beyond the pale," underscoring the widespread condemnation from political figures and advocacy groups.