Keir Starmer confirms new Hillsborough Law will include a legal duty of candour

Last week, Ian Byrne, MP for West Derby, led a group of 167 MPs and Lords in writing to the Prime Minister, calling on him to introduce the Hillsborough “in full”, rather than backing a “toothless replacement”.

The letter came amid rumours the Government could table bill that does not meet any of the core requirements of Hillsborough families, survivors or campaigners.

Speaking in Parliament this week, Mr Byrne said: “In 2022, Keir Starmer stood before the people of Liverpool at the Labour Party conference and pledged, and I quote, ‘One of my first acts as Prime Minister will be to put the Hillsborough law on the statute book’.

“He said the same again as Prime Minister in September 2024... That pledge filled our hearts with hope. It's promised an end to the culture of denial and delay.”

Ian Byrne was at the disaster aged 16 in 1989 which led to the deaths of 97 football fans during the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at the football ground in Sheffield.

Mr Byrne said: “On the 15th of April 1989, I entered the stadium as an innocent 16-year-old full of hope, excitement to watch my beloved Liverpool Football Club in an FA Cup semi-final.

“Little did I, or anybody else did that day, know that we were walking into a national disaster that would leave 97 men, women and children dead, hundreds more injured and countless families devastated for generations.”

The MP for West Derby introduced a Public Authority Accountability Bill centred around a duty of candour which would force public bodies to cooperate with official enquiries and tell the truth after major disasters or face criminal sanctions.

The government had introduced a similar bill which was criticised by campaigners and legal experts for not having a legally binding duty of candour. It was pulled over concerns related to who the duty of candour would apply to. Campaigners fear another bill could be reintroduced that would still be insufficient.

Sir Keir Starmer was asked about the issue at Prime Minister's questions before Mr Byrne spoke in Parliament.

The Prime Minister said he had been speaking to families personally about what would come forward. Sir Keir has confirmed that his Hillsborough Law will include a legal duty of candour amid fears the government's watering down its proposals.

Sir Keir said: “We will bring this forward, I just want to take the time to get it right and then put it before the House.”