The Hillsborough law is finally at the point of clearing the House of Commons, but the story is bigger than the bill itself. Hillsborough families, survivors and campaigners have spent decades forcing the Public Office (Accountability) Bill into existence after fighting cover-ups, delay and denial. The law is expected to become law by autumn, with 97 Liverpool fans at the centre of why it matters.
The campaign that kept it alive
Ninety seven Liverpool fans died in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. It took 27 years before a court ruled that those who died were unlawfully killed and bore no responsibility for causing the crush.
That gap is the reason this law has carried so much weight. Andy Burnham said: "For 37 years, they refused to accept a lie. They stood firm when powerful institutions closed ranks against them. They have shown extraordinary courage, and because they never gave up, they will leave a legacy that reaches far beyond Hillsborough."
Steve Rotheram put the same point another way: "There will never be justice for the 97, but the truth is out there because of these brilliant people who have campaigned and then this now is a fitting legacy for them."
Bill Kenwright's line, from years of campaigning around the tragedy, still fits the mood around the bill: "You've taken on the wrong city, well you've taken on the wrong mums too, because we all know about Liverpool mums and the way they fight for their kids and their families."
Starmer's tribute and what the bill would do
Keir Starmer tied the bill to Margaret Aspinall and the wider state failure that followed Hillsborough. He said: "I don't think I could have done it. I have a football-mad teenage son. I go to games with him and his sister. But I do not think I have the same courage in me that Margaret Aspinall has shown, over the decades, fighting for justice for her son, James."
He also described how Aspinall had to use the insurance pay out from James's death to pay for a barrister at the original inquest, while the state used taxpayer-money to hire armies of lawyers for the explicit purpose of denying justice.
The bill is meant to create a legal duty for public officials to tell the truth to inquiries and investigations. That is the point of it, and it is why the families' campaign has kept its focus for so long: not just on what happened, but on stopping other families from having to fight the same battle.
Rotheram also said he and Andy Burnham held meetings at the highest level with UK security services to get the bill over the line. The Commons vote is the next hurdle, and the law is expected to become law by autumn.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
