Keir Starmer urged to 'do the right thing' over Hillsborough Law over fears it could be watered down

Families of the Hillsborough victims have urged Keir Starmer to “do the right thing”, following reports the Hillsborough Law could be “watered down”.

Sir Keir previously promised to pass the bill by April 15; the 36th anniversary of the disaster in which 97 Liverpool fans lost their lives. But Downing Street this week said “more time” was needed to pass the best version of the legislation. Margaret Aspinall, who lost her 18-year-old son James, said a “watered down” version of the law would be of “no use” and the law must be introduced in its “entirety”. She spoke out as hundreds of fans gathered by Anfield’s Hillsborough memorial at 3.06pm to remember those who lost their lives.

Earlier captain Virgil van Dyke and manager Arne Slot laid a wreath in tribute to the fans who went to a football match but never came home.

Margaret said: “I’m pleased to hear that he’s going to do the best version, but the best version for me is it’s got to be all in its entirety. It’s no use watering it down in any way, shape, or form - otherwise it would never be a Hillsborough Law.”

A Hillsborough Law is a package of new laws that aim to ensure other bereaved families do not go through the same painful experiences as those who lost loved ones at Hillsborough.

Following the stadium disaster, on April 15 1989, families had to fight for years against the lies and obfuscation of the different organs of the state in their pursuit of justice.

The bill is intended to include a statutory duty of candour on public servants, backed by criminal sanctions, to force them to tell the truth during all forms of public inquiry and criminal investigation. It also includes a provision for a parity of legal funding for ordinary people forced to take on large institutions.

Charlotte Hennessy, who was just six years old when her dad Jimmy, 29, died after going to watch Liverpool play the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest, also urged the government to not let them down.

She said: "It feels like a bit of a kick in the teeth to have anticipated that this would be the anniversary where something good was finally going to come out of such a huge miscarriage of justice. It felt like this would be the anniversary where we would have the Hillsborough Law and where we could stand proud and that the end of the road was coming for us. Obviously that is now not the case."

She added: “If this is now an opportunity to undo what they have undone with this law, then I will welcome a short postponement. I would expect a week of peace for the anniversary and the following week for things to get back on track and for them to put back together what they took apart. But this cannot go on for weeks and months because we know the drill, we have been here before.”

Inquests into the tragedy concluded that the 97 Liverpool fans were unlawfully killed, yet no individuals or institutions have been held fully accountable for the disaster.

The PM promised to deliver on his pledge to introduce the law as he paid tribute to those who died in the 1989 disaster.

He said: “Thirty-six years ago, we saw one of the greatest disasters in our history. A disaster that led to 97 people tragically losing their lives. Today, I pay tribute to them. In the years since, their families and loved ones have campaigned tirelessly to get justice. Despite all the challenges they have faced, they have kept fighting.”

Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside Kim Johnson said it was “not just a missed deadline - it's a betrayal”, in a statement marking the anniversary.

She said that the promise made had “mattered” to the families fighting for justice and the “survivors who still carry the trauma”. Ms Johnson added: “No more delays. No more excuses. Families deserve justice. And until they get it - there will be no peace.”

In his post on X the PM said after decades of justice “we must get this legislation right”. He added: "We must make sure it achieves what the people of Liverpool have spent the past thirty-six years fighting for. Standing firmly at the side of Hillsborough families, this is what my government will deliver.”