Government Minister Says New Hillsborough Law Will Help Deliver The "Truth"

A government minister has said the upcoming Hillsborough Law is a forward-looking Bill which will help deliver the “truth” to victims and their dependents after major disasters.

Alison McGovern, a minister for work and pensions, is a Labour MP for Birkenhead in Merseyside who has campaigned for the introduction for a Hillsborough Law during her time in Parliament.

In an FA Cup semi-final in 1989, 97 Liverpool fans were crushed to death at Hillsborough in Sheffield. The families of the victims have been fighting for justice and police prosecutions ever since.

Alongside legal battles, which largely ended in 2021 after the last criminal trial collapsed, politicians and many of the families have pressured the government to introduce a Hillsborough Law. This proposed legislation would establish a legal duty of candour for public bodies, mandating that they be transparent and provide all relevant information during investigations into national disasters.

Speaking to PoliticsHome at the Hillsborough memorial at Anfield stadium on Wednesday, McGovern said the legislation took “longer” than it needed to – but hopes it will set a precedent to help those fighting for justice.

McGovern hopes the Bill will force public officials to be more “upfront” in the wake of tragedies such as Hillsborough.

“We lacked the legal force to get the truth out quickly enough. [A] duty of candour will make everybody be upfront about what has happened, and that will help us get to the truth and get to justice much more quickly,” McGovern said.

“The pain was much worse than it needed to be, because people didn't have to be upfront and open from the beginning. That's at the heart of the Hillsborough law, and it is a fitting legacy to all of those who loved