"I want to begin this debate with a simple acknowledgement, long overdue, that the British state failed the families and victims of Hillsborough to an almost inhuman level. "Those victims and their families, their strength, their courage, their refusal to give up, a determination no matter what was thrown at them to fight for people they'll never know or meet, to make sure that they never go through something like this again."
"They are the reason we stand here today with this Bill. "They are the reason why it will be known as the Hillsborough Law, and they are the reason why we say clearly again, what should have been said immediately, that their loved ones were unlawfully killed, and that they never bore any responsibility for what happened in Sheffield that day. We say it at this despatch box today."
Ninety-seven Liverpool fans were unlawfully killed in a terrace crush at an FA Cup semi-final in Sheffield on 15 April 1989. Families campaigned for decades for truth and accountability after initial failures by authorities. New inquests in 2016 exposed that public bodies had no legal obligation to cooperate or be transparent during earlier investigations. The Public Office (Accountability) Bill would create a legal duty of candour for public officials and introduce criminal sanctions for attempts to cover up future disasters. Campaigners including Margaret Aspinall attended parliamentary debate on the Bill, which is being referred to as the Hillsborough Law to honour victims and reiterate that they bore no responsibility.
Read at www.bbc.com
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