'Law promising truth to Hillsborough families would never happen under Tories'

06 December 2023 , 20:01

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Flowers, shirts and photographs surround the eternal flame of the Hillsborough memorial at Anfield in Liverpool (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

The latest kick in the teeth was mostly met with a shrug of the shoulders.

After almost 35 years of being ignored or insulted, the families of the 97 victims held out little hope for a Hillsborough Law to stop the victims of future disasters being treated as abysmally as they were. Sure, the Government tossed out a couple of placatory tidbits.

But forcing public servants to cooperate fully with investigations, plus parity of funding for victims, was a step too far. Had 97 people died through state negligence at the Henley Regatta, things may have been different. But a law promising truth and justice to relatives of people crushed to death in football grounds – or burned in flaming tower blocks – was never going to happen under the Tories.

Keir Starmer promised Labour would create a Hillsborough Law (Getty Images)

Keir Starmer says he will put such a law on the statute books if Labour are elected. All we can hope is that the leader of the opposition keeps his promise.

Brian Reade