Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to introduce a Hillsborough Law with a legal duty of candour after fierce criticism from Liverpool MPs who feared the bill would be weakened.
Speaking in the House of Commons (as reported by the BBC), the PM confirmed the legislation will include a requirement for public officials to tell the truth at major inquiries — with criminal penalties for those who don’t.
It follows renewed pressure from West Derby MP Ian Byrne and Riverside MP Kim Johnson, who warned the bill would be meaningless if the core protections campaigners fought for were stripped out.
Starmer commits to legal duty of candour after MPs raise alarm
Byrne, a survivor of the Hillsborough disaster himself, had launched a fresh parliamentary bid to push through the original version of the Hillsborough Law after reports surfaced that the duty of candour element had been removed from a draft.
But Starmer responded directly to those concerns, saying: “I am fully committed to introducing a Hillsborough Law, including a legal duty of candour for public servants and criminal sanctions for those that refuse to comply.”
The Liverpool MPs were clearly responding to fears among justice campaigners that the new government might quietly dilute the bill now it holds power.
Kim Johnson, speaking in PMQs, pointed out that Starmer had stood in her constituency and personally promised families this would be one of his first acts in office.
She accused the government of preparing a version that “doesn’t deserve to be named Hillsborough Law”.
Liverpool survivors want real accountability — not a watered-down bill
Byrne delivered a powerful appeal to the new Labour leadership, urging: “The law cannot bring back the 97… but it can stop this from ever happening again.
“It can give truth, a fight for justice, and restore some of the faith lost.”
In response, Starmer said he had been “personally engaging” with the issue and was drawing on more than a decade of involvement stemming from his time as Director of Public Prosecutions.
“We will bring this forward,” he insisted. “I just want to take the time to get it right and then put it before the house.”
The original Hillsborough Law was first introduced in 2017 and included not just the duty of candour, but also legal aid for affected families and a statutory public advocate to represent bereaved groups.
Labour’s majority now gives them the power to make this law a reality — but campaigners across Liverpool will be watching closely to ensure nothing is left out.
Liverpool fans have already been public with their hopes of a proper Hillsborough Law being introduced, something which will never go away until these prior promises are followed through.
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