00:00For more than three decades, families of those who died at Hillsborough have
00:04campaigned for legal safeguards to prevent public cover-ups. The so-called
00:08Hillsborough law promised by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to mark the
00:1236th anniversary of the disaster will now miss its expected parliamentary
00:15deadline. Campaigners say Home Secretary Shabna Mahmood has refused to meet
00:21relatives in recent weeks and is opposing an amendment designed to ensure the
00:25security services cannot mislead inquiries. Charlotte Hennessy, whose
00:28father Jimmy, died in the 1989 disaster, told the BBC she felt the Home Secretary
00:33was obstructive and unwilling to engage with families directly. Liverpool MP
00:37Ian Byrne, also at Hillsborough, said he shared real concerns about the delay and
00:41called for discussions with campaigners, lawyers and ministers to resolve
00:45outstanding issues. Ministers have not met with victims' representatives since
00:50January following debate over the bill's application to security services.
00:53The amendments aim to strengthen the bill by extending the duty to individual
00:57employees of the intelligence services as well as to the services as organisations.
01:02However, it is clear from our conversations with the families directly and the
01:07stakeholders that there are concerns about how the accompanying safeguards we
01:10proposed will work in practice. There will be questions on why we could not find a
01:16solution and why we need to delay when families have been clear on their views.
01:20I want to be clear that this is an incredibly complex area of policy. Across government,
01:26we must think about all of the possible scenarios and unintended consequences for national security
01:31and then work together with Parliament, the Intelligence and Security Committee,
01:35the campaigners and most of all the families in order to find a way through.
01:39The proposed legislation would create a duty for public authorities to cooperate fully
01:45with official inquiries and provide truthful evidence. Ministers have stressed that national
01:50security must not be compromised and the government has delayed the bill to ensure it works properly.
01:55Barrister Peter Weatherby Casey, a Hillsborough Law Campaign Director, said the parliamentary
02:00timing now makes it impossible for the law to pass in this session, adding that the impasse
02:06policy lies with the government rather than families. Campaigners remain determined. Margaret Aspinall,
02:12who lost her son James, said that the Prime Minister had personally pledged support for the law
02:18and should advocate for the victims. So I am delighted to say that this year we do not have
02:24to make any more vows. We have a law, the Hillsborough Law. Officials have confirmed the bill is expected
02:32to be carried over to the next parliamentary session, with ministers committed to progressing it.
02:38A government spokesperson said that the Hillsborough Law will apply to intelligence services while
02:43safeguarding national security, stressing that careful drafting is essential to get this right.
02:49For families, this is about more than legislation. It's about accountability,
02:53truth and ensuring that the tragedy of Hillsborough is never repeated.
Comments