Sir Keir ‘personally committed’ to bringing in Hillsborough Law

Sir Keir Starmer has said he is committed to delivering a Hillsborough Law that ensures a “duty of candour applies to all public servants”.

Speaking on the 37th anniversary of the disaster that killed 97 Liverpool football fans, the Prime Minister promised the Commons he would deliver the law and make sure “the state will always act for the people that it serves”.

Progress on the Bill stalled last year, after an amendment was pulled at the eleventh hour over concerns that intelligence agencies could use it to avoid being bound by the proposed duty of candour.

Sir Keir insisted all public servants would be covered by the duty of candour at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.

His comments came as one of his own backbenchers questioned whether he would commit to ruling out a “carve out” for security services, or whether victims would “be failed by the state once again”.

It is now expected that security chiefs will need to make a court application for any disclosures to be exempted.

Ian Byrne, the Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby, who was at Hillsborough when the disaster happened, said the 97 children, women and men who died were “killed at the hands of a corrupt state”.

Addressing Sir Keir, he said: “As parliamentary lead to the Hillsborough Law, I stand here with a huge sense of obligation to the 97, all the families, including my constituent, Debbie Matthews, every survivor and every victim of a state cover-up who were all part of this collective campaign.

“There are signs of progress after last night’s Government concessions, but we’ve heard this before.

“Prime Minister, this is your responsibility; it is within your power to take control of this process and make good on your promise to deliver this legislation.

“So will you commit today to ruling out any carve out for security services and finally delivering a full Hillsborough law worthy of the name, or will they be failed by the state once again?”

Sir Keir responded: “I am personally committed to working with the families to get this Bill right. It is integral that their views are heard.

“We’re discussing this precise issue with the families.

“I reaffirm my commitment to delivering the legislation to ensuring the duty of candour applies to all public servants.”

Speaking earlier at the start of PMQs, he added they would deliver a law to “end the injustice that they have suffered and ensure the state will always act for the people that it serves”.

Labour pledged to introduce a Hillsborough Law in its 2024 manifesto, but the legislation – formally known as the Public Office (Accountability) Bill – has stalled since it was introduced in September.

Once introduced, it would require public officials to tell the truth during inquiries and investigations.

Last year, the Government faced a row after proposing amendments that would see spies brought within the scope of the law, but only with the approval of the head of their services.

Campaigners warned that this could be used as a way of escaping the new “duty of candour” and the amendments were pulled.

Downing Street said the legislation would return to Parliament “soon” but refused to commit to bringing it back before the King’s Speech in May.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Significant progress has been made over recent weeks, working both with the families and the intelligence agencies and we expect to bring the Bill back to Parliament soon.”