The government has promised a rethink on a law preventing future state cover-ups
Hillsborough families have been promised the government will work “at pace” to rewrite a truth and justice law dedicated to honouring the legacy of their loved ones.
The bill was twice promised by Keir Starmer after a successful campaign to reform how the state deals with tragedies, after 97 Liverpool fans died in a football stadium crush in 1989.
The legislation was expected to be put before Parliament within days. But when relatives finally saw a draft version after months of waiting, they were furious to find it had been watered down by officials.
After internal party pressure, the Prime Minister held a phone call with one of the principal campaigners who told him the ‘Hillsborough Law’ had been filled with unacceptable loopholes.
Starmer then scrapped a planned summit with families, and ordered a reset. Junior ministers scrambled to reassure families they were “in listening mode”.
Liverpool FC lay flowers for victims of the Hillsborough disaster
The Mirror revealed earlier this month that the draft bill produced by civil servants reduced the threat of criminal sanctions they would face for being part of a cover-up, and limited legal aid for most victims of state injustice.
There is also an exemption which those who have seen it fear could be used by the intelligence services to avoid punishment for lying about their own wrongdoing.
The draft is believed to have been produced after Paymaster General Nick Thomas-Symonds expressed the view that the campaigners’ own, much tighter version of the legislation was “legally unworkable”..
When the extent of Hillsborough anger at the changes became clear, it caused huge internal rows and and some feared Labour was at risk of losing the Runcorn by-election in six weeks if it was not resolved.
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Yesterday Widnes and Halewood MP Derek Twigg – a Hillsborough survivor – told the Commons: “Whitehall is finding a reason to find problems with it rather than delivering it.”
He urged the government to keep the families’ asks for a broad legal duty of candour and restore parity of legal aid, and that the bill “be published soon”.
Leader of the House Lucy Powell said: “This govt remains committed to bringing forward legislation in that regard as we have said, but we want to make sure… that it reflects the range of concerns and experiences of those affected. “
She added: “We remain committed to working with the families and all those affected in making sure that as we work at pace on that piece of legislation, that it meets their expectations, and we will be setting out our next steps shortly.”
Meetings between ministers and campaigners to thrash out an improved bill are expected in the next two weeks. The PM has set a deadline of April 15 – the 36th anniversary of the football tragedy – to lay the bill before Parliament.
We asked the Cabinet Office to confirm whether or not Mr Thomas-Symonds had expressed the view that the campaigners’ requests were unworkable, but they did not respond. A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: “Our thoughts remain with those affected by the Hillsborough disaster and we will get them the justice they deserve.
“We remain fully committed to bringing in a Hillsborough Law which will include a legal duty of candour for public servants and criminal sanctions for those who refuse to comply.”