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The implementation of the Hillsborough law, which has faced delays, may soon be realized following a recent shift by the government concerning the obligation of intelligence agencies to provide evidence during public inquiries. Earlier this year, the progress of the bill was halted due to disagreements about including intelligence personnel within the law’s scope.
Reports indicate that Downing Street might now be inclined to concede on concerns that had previously prevented intelligence officers from being subjected to the law. This legislation is designed to impose a duty of candour on public officials and contractors involved in the aftermath of disasters, ensuring greater transparency and accountability.
Families and survivors of the 1989 Hillsborough tragedy, alongside several Labour MPs, have emphasized the importance of including intelligence officers under the law’s remit, an issue that led to the bill’s pause this January. Attempts to resolve the stalemate through a compromise proposal were unsuccessful, as amendments suggested by the government were rejected by the affected families and campaigners, raising the possibility of rebellion among backbench Labour MPs.
Among those supporting amendments to introduce specific duties of candour for intelligence officers were more than 20 Labour members of parliament, including Merseyside representatives Ian Byrne and Anneliese Midgley. The government’s compromise would have brought security service personnel within the legislation’s reach but only if approved by their service heads. Campaigners criticized this condition, arguing it would leave the decision to disclose information in the hands of the security services themselves. While Keir Starmer is reported to be ready to accommodate the campaigners’ demands, officials caution that no agreement has been finalized. With the 37th anniversary of the tragedy approaching, an announcement on the way forward is not expected until afterward.
Prior to this deadlock, families impacted by the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, in which 22 people were killed in a suicide attack, urged Keir Starmer to ensure intelligence officers were not exempt from the new law. They highlighted that MI5’s failure to act on vital intelligence had contributed to the attack occurring. In their letter, they stated: “MI5 failed our loved ones and failed us. It did so by failing to prevent the arena bombing. But it then failed and hurt us further through its lack of candour after the attack.” Some Manchester Arena families met with Starmer alongside Margaret Aspinall, a prominent Hillsborough campaigner with connections to the prime minister.
Initially, Starmer had promised that the law would be passed in time for last year’s anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. However, since the bill has yet to be reviewed by the House of Lords and parliament is set to begin a new session soon, the process is likely to restart. A government spokesperson stated, “We are working with the families, who have campaigned for decades, to get this bill right. The bill will fundamentally change how public authorities and officials behave during inquiries and investigations, ensuring honesty and transparency, so the state must always act for the people it serves.”
Read the full article from The Guardian here: Read More
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