Families and victims of the Hillsborough disaster were let down to an extreme extent, as stated by Keir Starmer during his address to MPs. Starmer introduced the much-anticipated Hillsborough Bill, emphasizing that it would serve as a lasting form of justice for the 97 football supporters who lost their lives in the tragic event of 1989. The Prime Minister assured onlookers that the Bill would remain uncompromised.
The proposed law will establish a legal obligation of transparency for all public officials, including police officers, with severe penalties for dishonesty or withholding information. It aims to put an end to the unequal legal battles by expanding access to legal assistance.
Addressing the Commons, Starmer expressed, “I must start this discussion with a long-overdue acknowledgment that the British government failed the Hillsborough families and victims to an almost inhumane degree.” He continued, “While we often refer to Hillsborough as a tragedy, it goes beyond that label because the disaster was not a stroke of misfortune, nor was it a mere accident. It was an act of injustice, compounded by further wrongs as the families endured falsehoods and defamation from the authorities, with the government’s complicity over many years.”
The families of those who perished in the avoidable crush at Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield have been embroiled in a protracted battle against cover-ups. Liverpool fans were falsely accused of causing the disaster during an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
Starmer highlighted that similar failures have recurred since then, citing the Horizon scandal, Grenfell Tower, contaminated blood, Windrush, and grooming gangs. The Prime Minister acknowledged a recurring pattern in these scandals where the British state struggles to recognize injustices based on the victims’ social status, ethnicity, or gender, which the Bill aims to rectify.
It wasn’t until 2016 that the initial inquest results were overturned and unlawful killing verdicts were issued. An independent inquiry four years earlier identified the primary cause of the tragedy as inadequate police control and compromised crowd safety at all levels. The report also indicated that 41 victims could have survived with better-coordinated emergency responses.
Despite subsequent legal proceedings failing to hold anyone accountable, a report by Bishop James Jones of Liverpool attributed the systemic failures to “the patronizing disposition of unaccountable power.”
