Sir Keir Starmer has said he will deliver Labour’s pledged ‘Hillsborough Law’ later this year amid calls from campaigners who say they are still “in the dark” on the plans.
Writing on the 36th anniversary of the tragedy, the prime minister promised that the law will soon be introduced. Campaigners hope it will include a legal duty of transparency on public authorities like police, as well as funding for bereaved families.
However, a spokesperson for Downing Street added that more time was needed to draft the “best version.”
The tragedy, which took place at the FA Cup semi-final on 15 April 1989, saw 97 Liverpool fans lose their lives as result of a fatal crush that occurred during a game at Hillsborough Stadium in Yorkshire.
In the aftermath of the disaster, South Yorkshire Police would tell the national press that it was drunken and irresponsible football fans that had caused the disaster. But after years of independent investigation, it would be found that gross negligence by the force was the key contributing factor in the deaths.
It is hoped that the duty of candour – or honesty – that the new Hillsborough Law will set out will ensure police forces are required to be fully transparent about their failings in the future.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Sir Keir said: “Thirty-six years ago, we saw one of the greatest disasters in our history. A disaster that led to 97 people tragically losing their lives.
“Today, I pay tribute to them. In the years since, their families and loved ones have campaigned tirelessly to get justice. Despite all the challenges they have faced, they have kept fighting.
“I promised to bring a Hillsborough Law before Parliament, with a legal duty of candour for public authorities and public servants, and criminal sanctions for anyone who fails to comply. I will deliver on that promise.
“After decades of injustice, we must get this legislation right. 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, Margaret Aspinall, whose son James, 18, died at Hillsborough, said she would not “knock” the Prime Minister, who had previously promised her in a private phone call the law would be introduced by the anniversary.
She added: “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.”
Ms Aspinall said: “If it’s not in all its entirety, I want nothing to do with it.”
Last month, it was reported that a meeting between Sir Keir and campaigners had been cancelled, with claims officials were attempting to have the contents of the Bill watered down.
It is understood concerns related to who the duty of candour would apply to.
Elkan Abrahamson, solicitor for Broudie Jackson Canter and director of the Hillsborough Law Now campaign, said the redrafted version was a “betrayal” of promises made.
He said: “We remain largely in the dark as to the status of the Bill and the next steps.
“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.
“We stand ready to assist the Government in delivering the promised legislation and urge them to speak to us to better understand what is required.
“The legislation must deliver what was promised in the coming weeks to ensure a lasting legacy for Hillsborough families and survivors and to ensure others are not put through the ordeal of fighting for truth, justice and accountability.”
Campaigners are planning to contact all MPs by the end of the month.
On Monday, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Having consulted with groups over recent weeks and months, we believe more time is needed to draft the best version of a Hillsborough Law, but we remain fully committed to bringing this legislation at pace, and we’ll obviously continue to work with them in the weeks ahead and provide an update when we’ve got it.”
Ninety-seven football fans died as a result of a crush at the match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield.
On Tuesday, the anniversary will be marked with a minute’s silence in Liverpool and flags on civic buildings will be flown at half-mast.
The Lord Mayor of Liverpool Richard Kemp and council leader Liam Robinson will lead the silence in Exchange Flags, behind the town hall, before a bell is tolled 97 times and an instrumental version of You’ll Never Walk Alone is played.
The original Hillsborough inquest verdicts were quashed in 2012 following the publication of an independent panel report and in 2016 a jury found victims of the disaster were unlawfully killed amid a number of police errors.
The match commander on the day, David Duckenfield, was charged with gross negligence manslaughter in 2017, but was cleared in 2019 at a retrial held after the jury in his first trial was unable to reach a verdict.
In 2021, retired officers Donald Denton and Alan Foster and former force solicitor Peter Metcalf, who were accused of amending statements to minimise the blame on South Yorkshire Police, were acquitted of perverting the course of justice after a judge ruled there was no case to answer.
Earlier this year, the Independent Office for Police Conduct told families and survivors their investigation had found South Yorkshire Police sought to deflect the blame from themselves.
But the police watchdog said it was unable to find that officers had a case to answer for misconduct because the professional standards for policing at the time did not include a specific duty of candour.
