Grenfell Tower will be demolished, Angela Rayner has confirmed.
The demolition is expected to take “around two years” and be carried out “sensitively”, the government said.
The official announcement comes after the deputy prime minister met with campaigners to tell them of the decision on Wednesday evening – sparking an angry reaction.
Grenfell United has accused Ms Rayner of “ignoring” the voices of people who lost family in the fire in June 2017, which killed 72 people.
Read more: Grenfell Tower – what happens now?
The disaster was Britain’s deadliest residential fire since the Second World War and began a national reckoning over the safety and conditions of social housing and tower blocks.
There have been discussions over the years about how best to commemorate the tragedy.
Engineering experts have said that while the tower remains stable, and it is safe for people to live, work and study nearby, its condition will worsen over time and there is no realistic prospect of bringing it back into use.
In September last year, the public inquiry into Grenfell found “systematic dishonesty” of firms who made and sold cladding contributed to the horrific fire.
Why is Grenfell Tower being demolished?
In its announcement of the demolition, the government said Ms Rayner was told by engineers that the tower is “significantly damaged”.
While it “remains stable”, this is due to the supports put in place after the fire.
Engineers said it is also not “practicable” to keep many of the damaged storeys as part of a long-term memorial.
“Taking the engineering advice into account the deputy prime minister concluded that it…
