Reactions to the fire in the days following its occurrence included those from Royalty, senior political figures, members of the public and figures from the world of arts and entertainment. Prime Minister Theresa May also faced criticism from the media and public for the way she responded to the incident.

Political reaction

Queen Elizabeth II said that her thoughts and prayers were with the affected families. ^[1] On 16 June, and along with Prince William, visited the Westway Sports Centre, where a relief centre had been set up to help the victims of the fire. ^[2] On her Official Birthday, which fell the following day, the Queen released a statement in which she said it was "difficult to escape a very sombre national mood" following the Grenfell Tower fire, and recent terrorist attacks in London and Manchester. ^{[3] [4]} She led a minute's silence at the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony held at Horse Guards Parade. ^[5]

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was saddened and called for a cross-government meeting, and a meeting with the Civil Contingencies Secretariat. ^[6] On 15 June, she made a private visit to Grenfell Tower to speak with London Fire Brigade commissioner Dany Cotton and other members of the emergency services. ^[1] However, she did not meet any members of the public. Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood stated that security concerns were the reason not to meet with people who lived in the tower. BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg commented that May's decision not to meet those who lived in the tower might be interpreted as indicative of a lack of empathy. ^[7] On 17 June, May met with victims at 10 Downing Street. ^[8]

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said that questions needed to be answered about the fire. He praised the emergency services for their actions. ^[9] On 15 June, he visited a nearby community centre and spoke to some of the volunteers who were helping those affected by the fire. ^[10] He called for private property to be " requisitioned if necessary", to provide homes for those displaced by the fire, referring to the large number of empty properties in Kensington. ^[11] This proposal was characterised by The Telegraph as unlawful. ^[12] In a survey, 59% of those polled by YouGov supported Corbyn's proposal. ^[13]

London Mayor Sadiq Khan issued a statement saying he was devastated and also praising the emergency services on the scene. ^[14] Labour MP David Lammy requested that all relevant documents which could advance criminal enquiries should be seized by the police. He said, “The prime minister needs to act immediately to ensure that all evidence is protected so that everyone culpable for what happened at Grenfell Tower is held to account and feels the full force of the law. We need urgent action now to make sure all records and documents relating to the refurbishment and management of Grenfell Tower are protected.” ^[15]

Criticism of Theresa May

Theresa May faced criticism from the media and those affected by the fire for her decision not to speak to those affected by the fire during her initial visit to the area. An editorial in The Guardian called it her " Hurricane Katrina moment", ^[16] while former Conservative cabinet minister Michael Portillo felt the decision showed a lack of "humanity". Describing her meeting with members of the emergency services as "a good thing", he felt she "should have been there with the residents. She wanted an entirely controlled situation in which she didn't use her humanity". ^[17]

In response to the criticism levelled at her, May made a visit to some of the victims at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. ^{[18] [2]} On a second visit that day, May visited St Clement's Church which had been set up as a relief centre. From there she announced a £5 million fund for victims of the fire ^[19] and promised that residents would be given new housing, as close to Grenfell Tower as possible, "as far as possible within the borough, or in neighbouring boroughs", within the next three weeks. ^[20] Some people proceeded to shout "coward", "murderer" and "shame on you" at her. Minor scuffles broke out. ^{[21] [22]}

An article written by former Conservative MP Matthew Parris in The Times described her as "a good and moral person, who wants the best for her country, and is not privately unfeeling, ... in public is crippled by personal reserve". ^[23] Andrea Leadsom, the Leader of the House of Commons subsequently visited a relief centre at the Rugby Portobello Trust, where she was confronted by residents angered by May's response, and described the prime minister as being "absolutely heartbroken" over events at Grenfell Tower. ^[24]

Public protest

During the afternoon of 16 June 2017, hundreds of people protested at Kensington Town Hall, demanding that victims be rehoused within the borough and that funds be made available for those rendered homeless. ^{[25] [26]} The actions of some protesters caused a number of council officials having to be evacuated from the Town Hall. ^{[27] [28]}

Responsibility for managing the aftermath of the fire was removed from Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council. It was transferred to a new body comprising representatives from central and other local London government, the London Fire Brigade, Metropolitan Police and Red Cross. ^[29] Residents living near the tower, who had been evacuated and were also effectively homeless, accused the council's leadership of going into hiding. Some families reportedly returned home after being told that rehoming priorities were aimed at those who had lived in Grenfell Tower, amid confusion and uncertainty over whether their homes were safe. ^[30]

Response from arts and entertainment

Music producer Simon Cowell, who lives in the borough, ^[31] arranged the recording and release of a charity single of Simon & Garfunkel's " Bridge over Troubled Water", at nearby Sarm West Studios. Artists involved included Liam Payne, Stormzy, Louisa Johnson, ^[32] Emeli Sandé, Pixie Lott, Rita Ora, Leona Lewis, Tulisa Contostavlos, choir conductor Gareth Malone, and Stereophonics singer Kelly Jones. ^[33] In all, around fifty artists contributed to the recording, which was released on 21 June. ^[34]

On 17 June, BBC Two pulled the documentary Venice Biennale: Sink or Swim, due to air at 7.30pm that evening, as it features artist Khadija Saye, believed to be among the fatalities, ^[35] while BBC One rescheduled an edition of its new series Pitch Battle because the programme contained themes and song lyrics that were deemed to be inappropriate so soon after the fire. ^[36]