Inspirational Hillsborough campaigner Margaret Aspinall to receive ‘highest honour’

Inspirational Hillsborough campaigner, Margaret Aspinall is to be awarded the ‘highest honour’ in the borough of Knowsley in recognition of her tireless work seeking justice for all those impacted by the Hillsborough disaster. Mrs Aspinall has been a prominent advocate in the fight for justice and a vocal and passionate supporter of a ‘Hillsborough Law’ – finally confirmed by the Government earlier this year.

Mrs Aspinall’s 18-year-old son James was one of the 97 victims who lost their lives at Hillsborough. The former chairperson of the now disbanded, Hillsborough Family Support Group, has bravely fought for justice over three decades and dedicated her life to supporting victims and their families.

As a way of recognising her work, Knowsley Council have announced they will be awarding Mrs Aspinall the Freedom of the Borough. This particular civic award is reserved for individuals or organisations that have provided ‘eminent’ service to the area and has only been awarded eight other times in the entire history of the borough – it is the highest possible honour Knowsley can give.

Cllr Graham Morgan, Leader of Knowsley Council said: “I am delighted that Margaret has accepted our invitation and that in the new year we will be able to formally honour her and recognise the impact of her decades long efforts to fight for justice.

“Out of something so tragic, and despite her own personal loss, Margaret has shown courage and incredible determination. She is an inspiration to many and I am sure that the community of Knowsley will delighted that we are able to honour – one of our own – in such a way.”

Mrs Aspinall will receive the Freedom of the Borough at a special council meeting in January and will be the start of an important year for Margaret and all the Hillsborough law campaigners. Having spent 35 years campaigning to ensure that “people shouldn’t have to fight for justice, justice should fight for people”, the Hillsborough Law will officially be introduced.

The work of Hillsborough campaigners like Mrs Aspinall to drive national policy change is particularly significant as the new law will enshrine accountability for families and loved ones in the painful aftermath of tragedies like Hillsborough. The law is scheduled to be launched ahead of the next anniversary of the disaster in April 2025 and will offer significant safeguards to future victims of major disasters and compel public bodies co-operate with investigations into or face potential criminal sanctions.

Cllr Morgan added: “The decades of work and campaigning by Margaret and others involved in developing the Hillsborough Law mean that no family should suffer the torment of injustice in addition to the pain of being caught up in a major disaster, as the Hillsborough families did. This is a lasting legacy that has been hard fought for over a long period of time – we can have nothing but admiration for Margaret’s crucial role in making it happen.”