Sir U-turn strikes once more! UK spooks ‘might be lined by Hillsborough regulation on openness’ after newest Starmer climbdown

British spies could face greater scrutiny after the Prime Minister U-turned on plans to give them a carve out from a new law on public sector openness.

Sir Keir Starmer is said to have thrown out plans to give MI5 and other security services powers to veto the ‘Hillsborough Law’ amid a backlash on the slow pace of getting it through Parliament.

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill, would create a ‘duty of candour’ making it illegal for public authorities to withhold information from official investigations.

But the Government wanted to amend it to give the heads of MI5, MI6 and GCHQ the power to decide what they could disclose.

The bill was pulled in January amid a furious row over the changes amid signs that Labour backbenchers could vote it down.

But Sir Keir faced growing anger from campaigners to undo the stalemate while ministers attempted to find a workable compromise.

Last month campaigners described a lack of progress on the to prevent future-cover-ups ‘an insult’ to victims of major disasters and their families.

Now it has emerged that spy chiefs will not get the power to unilaterally make a decision, but will have to be authorised by a judge to allow them to withhold information on national security grounds.

Asked about whether he would deliver on his promise to get the Hillsborough Law passed, the Prime Minister told reporters today : ‘I did make that promise and I intend to deliver on that promise.

‘This week is obviously an important week because it’s the anniversary – anniversary seems the wrong word in a way – but it’s the yearly reminder of what happened and the pain the families have gone through, are still going through, and the injustice that was inflicted on them for many, many years.’

He continued: ‘I intend to make good on the promise that I made.

‘Obviously we’re working with the families and others on the final balance that we need to get right in the proposed legislation.

‘But the duty of candour, the duty, basically, that public officials need to come forward and tell the truth – that’s a really important principle that drives me.

‘So we’ll keep working on this, it’s important to get it right… I’ve made a promise and I intend to act on that promise.’

People affected by the football stadium tragedy, alongside victims of the infected blood and Horizon Post Office scandals, Manchester Arena terror attack and others, have written to the Prime Minister to express their frustration. 

The proposed legislation takes its name from the Hillsborough disaster, after which families campaigned for years to get to the truth behind what caused the crush which led to the death of 97 football fans at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in 1989.

A government spokesman said: ‘We are working with the families, who have campaigned for decades, to get this bill right. 

‘The bill will fundamentally change how public authorities and officials behave during inquiries and investigations, ensuring honesty and transparency, so the state must always act for the people it serves.’