MICHAEL GOVE has apologised to Grenfell survivors and bereaved families after admitting that the government was “partially responsible” for the deadly tower block fire.

The Communities Secretary said yesterday that “faulty and ambiguous” government guidance had allowed “unscrupulous people to exploit a broken system in a way that led to tragedy.”

His remarks come almost six years on from the disaster in west London on June 14 2017, which killed 72 people. 

In an interview with the Sunday Times, Mr Gove said: “There was a system of regulation that was faulty.

“The government did not think hard enough, or police effectively enough, the whole system of building safety. Undoubtedly.”

Evidence heard at the public inquiry into the disaster, chaired by retired judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick, showed that official guidance was widely viewed as allowing flammable cladding to be installed on tower blocks.

The inquiry also revealed that many of those involved have failed to accept blame for their role in the events leading up to the disaster.

Speaking to Sky News later yesterday, Mr Gove acknowledged that the government “collectively has to take some responsibility” for the disaster, but he added that failings also dated back to before the Tories took power in 2010 and that “no individual minister or department” was to blame. 

Asked if he would apologise, Mr Gove replied that he “absolutely would.”

However, former Labour MP Emma Dent Coad, in whose Kensington constituency the disaster happened, branded Mr Gove’s remarks a “non-announcement,” noting that Building Safety and Fire Minister Lord Stephen Greenhalgh had already admitted in the upper house that there had been “systemic regulatory failure” by the government.

She said in a statement: “The impact on our communities over the years … is immeasurable and has never fully been acknowledged. 

“Three Grenfell households are still homeless and 50-plus [are] very unhappy in their allocated homes — some not fire safe!”

Ms Coad added that Mr Gove’s comments were “not good enough”  and that more needed to be done, including an inspection into local authority the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. 

Mr Gove also revealed a new deadline for developers to remove dangerous cladding from buildings or face being banned from constructing new homes.  

From today, developers will have a six-week deadline to sign a legally binding contract committing them to fix unsafe tower blocks.