Families affected by Hillsborough and Manchester Arena tragedies voice opposition to proposed Hillsborough Law changes, seeking transparency from intelligence services.
Families of those unlawfully killed in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster have said the Government’s proposed Hillsborough Law is “not what we were promised”.
Campaigners met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday (January 14) to discuss concerns about proposals to exempt the intelligence services from the law’s duty of candour.
Officially known as the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, the law would place a duty of candour on public authorities and officials to tell the truth and proactively cooperate with official investigations and inquiries, to prevent future cover-ups from occurring.
But, families of those killed in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster and of those who died in 2017 Manchester Arena attack, were left disappointed following the hour-long meeting, warning that the draft bill might allow intelligence chiefs to “hide serious failures behind a vague claim of national security”.
Hillsborough memorial at Anfield on April 15, 2025 in Liverpool, England.placeholder image
Hillsborough memorial at Anfield on April 15, 2025 in Liverpool, England. | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
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An inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing - which saw 22 lives lost - found the attack could have been stopped if MI5 had acted on key intelligence in the months before the attack. Labour MP Anneliese Midgley told the Commons had seen MI5 spend “six years misleading the public and concealing information”.
Amendments proposed by the Government brought spies within the scope of the legislation, subject to the approval of the head of their service. But, campaigners suggested it should be up to the head of an inquiry to decide whether information was relevant, not those within the service.
Sir Keir said he had always been clear that the duty of candour applies to the intelligence services”, adding: “I made a commitment that we would not water down the Bill.” But, he said there must be “essential safeguards in place to protect national security”, adding: “We have got that balance right.”
Following the meeting, Ruth Leney, who chairs the Manchester Arena Support Network, said that Sir Keir had “listened”, but added: “We can’t trust the Bill if not everybody is accountable to it.”
A spokesperson for Hillsborough Law Now said: “Hillsborough Law Now wants to support this landmark legislation, but we stand in solidarity with the Manchester Arena families and others who have been wronged by the Intelligence Services.
“A Hillsborough Law that wouldn’t prevent the same lies being told to the Manchester Arena families is not the Hillsborough Law that we were promised. We have given the Government the solution. They must take it.”
MPs had been due to debate the Hillsborough Law on Wednesday, but the Report Stage and third reading was pushed back until Monday (January 19) to allow the Government to propose changes that might address campaigners’ concerns.
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