Labour MP 'relieved' after facing prospect of voting against government today
A Hillsborough Law will be named in honour of the Hillsborough disaster victims and their families
A Hillsborough Law will be named in honour of the Hillsborough disaster victims and their families(Image: Getty Images)
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Hillsborough Law campaigners have said they are "relieved" after the government once again delayed an entire stage of the landmark legislation's route through Parliament amid an ongoing backlash of how the new law will work.
The law – officially called the Public Office (Accountability) Bill – aims to force public officials and contractors to tell the truth after disasters through a new legally bound duty of candour. It is named in honour of the 97 Liverpool fans who were unlawfully killed at Hillsborough and their families who faced decades of lies as they fought for truth and justice.
The Bill will also see the biggest expansion of legal aid in a decade in order to provide a level playing field for families and loved ones appearing at inquests and inquiries.
But a major row has developed over how the new law will cover the nation's intelligence and security services, with families and campaigners insisting that an amendment brought forward by the government amounted to a "carve out" for spies.
The government says the security services would be subject to the duty of candour, but there were concerns that their amendment said the head of a particular service may have the discretion to decide if information can be released or not.
The row has threatened to derail the entire Hillsborough Law bill, with the a key stage of its route through Parliament delayed last week so that families could travel to London to meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has repeatedly told them that the legislation would not be watered down.
But with those talks breaking down, families and campaigners were telling MPs not to vote for the government's amendment which was due to reach what is called the Report Stage in the House of Commons today. Key campaign figures like Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram warned over the weekend that the government must pull back.
And that pressure appeared to bear results on Sunday evening, when the government revealed it would be pulling its amendment, although it was said that Monday's Report Stage would still go ahead today (Monday).
However, amid mounting pressure, it is now understood that the entire Report Stage has been delayed again and will not take place today.
A government spokesperson said: "This legislation will right the wrongs of the past, changing the balance of power to ensure the state can never hide from the people it should serve and putting a legal duty on officials to respond openly and honestly when things go wrong.
"The bill will make the police, intelligence agencies and the whole of government more scrutinised than they have been. We must get this right to keep the country safe.
"We welcome continued support from victims and their families, making sure the Bill is the strongest it can be while never compromising national security."
The ECHO understands that the next steps on how the Bill will proceed will be revealed shortly in Parliament.
Liverpool West Derby Labour MP Ian Byrne, a Hillsborough survivor and the parliamentary lead for the Hillsborough Law campaign said he was greatly relieved at the delay. He had been gathering support for an alternative amendment to the government's over the weekend.
He told the ECHO: "There was no way we were going to vote on a partial Hillsborough Law and the government knew my amendment was still in play. There was huge support for it and I don't think they would have pulled their amendment otherwise. The support I was getting from all wings of the party was remarkable."
He added: "We have a perfectly good amendment, that does what we want. Now we need meaningful dialogue to come up with something that we are all proud to support."
"I was so relieved to hear the news that it was being pulled entirely. The last thing I wanted to do was vote against anything bearing the name Hillsborough Law."
Prime Minister Keir Starmer was asked about the ongoing issues with the Hillsborough Law at a press conference today. He said: "I care hugely that we get this right, that we right the wrongs for very many families who have been let down and ensure a better future for families in the future.