Keir Starmer has missed his own deadline to introduce the Hillsborough Law, after promising it would be brought in ahead of the disaster’s 36th anniversary today.
In last year’s King’s Speech, the government promised to bring forward legislation long requested by families and campaigners, which would create a duty of candour for public servants.
The campaigners argue such a move could prevent others from suffering like they did in the aftermath of the tragedy at the FA Cup semi-final on April 15 1989.
At the 2024 Labour Party conference – which took place in Liverpool – the Prime Minister committed to introducing the law to Parliament ‘before the next anniversary in April’.
This morning, he wrote in a tweet that he ‘will deliver’ his promise to bring in the legislation but added ‘we must get this legislation right’.
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The PM said: ‘We must make sure it achieves what the people of Liverpool have spent the past thirty-six years fighting for.
‘Standing firmly at the side of Hillsborough families, this is what my government will deliver.’
Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, campaigner Margaret Aspall said Sir Keir had told her in a phone call that the law would be introduced in time for the anniversary, but added she would not ‘knock’ him.
What happened at the Hillsborough disaster?
The Hillsborough disaster – a deadly crush that claimed the lives of 97 Liverpool FC fans at a match against Nottingham Forest in 1989 – has been marked in the minds of British football fans ever since.
53,000 fans descended upon the Sheffield suburb for a sold-out match on a sunny April day – the air was filled with optimism, one attendee recalled.
But when Liverpool’s Peter Beardsley hit the bar four minutes into the game, a crowd surge began at the Liverpool end of the pitch.
Some fans managed to escape, but others were crushed to death and hundreds injured in the chaos. It is the deadliest disaster in British sporting history.
More pain was to come for those affected by the tragedy in the months and years that followed.
South Yorkshire Police were accused of deflecting blame from themselves, an allegation later backed up by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
However, the watchdog also concluded they did not have a misconduct case to answer as professional standards at the time ‘did not include a specific duty of candour’.
Margaret, whose son James died at Hillsborough aged 18, said: ‘What I will say is I’m disappointed it’s not come out for the anniversary.
‘But at the same time, I wouldn’t have accepted it being watered down, because to me if it’s watered down it’s like giving me a jigsaw puzzle and there’s a couple of pieces missing.’
A Downing Street spokesperson said yesterday: ‘Having consulted with groups over recent weeks and months, we believe more time is needed to draft the best version of a Hillsborough Law.’
They added that the government remains ‘fully committed to bringing this legislation at pace’.
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Last month, it was reported a meeting between the Prime Minister and Hillsborough campaigners had been cancelled amid concerns over the detail of the proposed bill.
Activists have said it must ensure all public officials must be covered by the ‘duty of candour’ measure that forms its centrepiece.
That would mean they are legally required to act with honesty and transparency during investigations, in an effort to prevent future cover-ups.
Elkan Abrahamson, solicitor for Broudie Jackson Canter and director of the Hillsborough Law Now campaign, said: ‘The recent Cabinet Office redraft of the bill is a betrayal of the promises made by the government, so there must be urgent steps to return to the original principles.
‘We have made it clear to the Government that we will not accept anything that falls short of a full Hillsborough Law which includes a duty of candour for all public officials.’
In his social media post this morning, Sir Keir said the legislation would include ‘a legal duty of candour for public authorities and public servants, and criminal sanctions for anyone who fails to comply’.
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