Hillsborough law on hold until agreement reached with families'

"Keir Starmer was forced to delay the bill again on Monday after talks broke down last week with families from Hillsborough and the Manchester Arena attack. Central to the disagreement is how the duty of candour in the public authority (accountability) bill would apply to serving intelligence officers. The law designed to stop official cover-ups would mean those in public office who lie or evade would face prosecution."

"Families, along with the barrister Peter Wetherby, the architect of the law, met the ministers Alex Davies-Jones and Nick Thomas-Symonds in the Ministry of Justice on Monday, but left without agreement. Speaking at a press conference earlier on Monday, Starmer said he was determined to find a solution. I care hugely that we get this right, that we right the wrongs for very many families who have been let down and ensure a better future for families, he said."

Labour postponed returning the accountability bill to the Commons until agreement can be reached with bereaved families over its application. The core dispute concerns whether and how the duty of candour would apply to serving intelligence officers. The government accepts the law should cover the security services but proposes agency chiefs retain final discretion over when individual officers give evidence, a proposal families say risks future cover-ups. Ministers tabled amendments adding obligations on security agencies, but families and the bill’s architect left a meeting without agreement. The government seeks a compromise that protects both families’ rights and national security.

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