Keir Starmer told the Mirror it would end ‘the culture of obfuscation and cover-up, so public institutions can never again hide from those they are there to serve’
Public officials could face criminal sanctions for lying under a long-awaited Hillsborough Law to prevent future state cover ups.
Keir Starmer told the Mirror it would end “the culture of obfuscation and cover-up, so public institutions can never again hide from those they are there to serve”.
It comes after a decades-long fight by the families of the 97 Liverpool fans who died in a fatal crush at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield. Grieving relatives spent years battling for justice for their loved ones after police falsely blamed Liverpool supporters for the disaster.
The Prime Minister said: “I know nothing can ever undo the years of injustice those families have endured. But I hope it can add to the already profound legacy they have created in memory of the 97.”
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He added: “With this law, we are changing the balance of power in Britain and ensuring that the State can never hide from the people it is supposed to serve. Make no mistake – this a law for the 97, but it is also a law for the sub-postmasters who suffered because of the Horizon scandal, the victims of infected blood, and those who died in the terrible Grenfell Tower fire.”
The Public Office (Accountability) Bill, which will be laid in Parliament on Tuesday, will create a legal duty of candour for all public officials, such as police officers, with criminal penalties for lying or withholding information.
A new offence for misleading the public will be created – with criminal sanctions for the most serious breaches. It also includes a commitment to legal aid funding to help victims in David and Goliath-style battles with official bodies.
Mr Starmer made a personal promise to deliver the law to Margaret Aspinall, whose son James, 18, died at Hillsborough. She said: “It’s been a long journey to get here. I am so grateful to the Prime Minister for fulfilling his promise to me.
“This campaign wasn’t about just us, it is about the ordinary people of this country, hopefully this law will mean no one will ever have to suffer like we did. This promise now was well worth waiting for, for the good of the people. We have got the Hillsborough Law!”
The Prime Minister is expected to meet some of the families and campaigners in Downing Street on Tuesday. Ministers have been racing against time to get the bill to Parliament before Labour ’s annual conference in Liverpool at the end of September.
Mr Starmer previously promised to bring in the law in time for the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster in April but progress stalled, leading to fears it could be watered down.
A spokesman for the Hillsborough Law Now campaign urged the Government to “be brave and ignore the vested interests” of those who might attempt to dilute it.
“From Hillsborough to Grenfell, from Nuclear Test Veterans to Post Office Sub-Masters, from Infected Blood Scandals to victims of terrorist atrocities, all have shown that the state far too often fails victims and, even worse, makes their tragedies worse with smears, lies and cover-ups,” the spokesman said.
They said: “This landmark Bill, introduced today, if passed and implemented in full, will lead to massive cultural change and prevent the cover-ups and institutional defensiveness that have pervaded across so many disasters and scandals.”
A No10 source said: “Keir has been all over this since coming into government. Time and again he was told by the system ‘it can’t be done’, or, ‘it’s too difficult’. But he wouldn’t accept it, because he knew how important this is for not just the Hillsborough families, but other campaigners like those from the Grenfell, Horizon and infected blood scandals.”
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region, said: “The tabling of The Hillsborough Law is the biggest victory for ordinary people campaigning and organising together in generations – and the most important change in how our justice system treats ordinary citizens – since the Human Rights Act.
“We must never forget that while it was Liverpool supporters who went to Hillsborough that day, the tragedy touched families and communities right across the country. But the same injustices had, and continue to be, a stain on our country’s reputation for fairness and justice. Until today.”
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