Labour’s Missed Deadline on Hillsborough Law: Why We Will Accept Nothing Less
For the people of Liverpool, the fight for justice has never been abstract – it is deeply personal, born out of tragedy, betrayal, and an unbreakable demand for truth. Hillsborough remains an open wound in our collective memory, not only because of the devastating loss of 97 lives, but because of the decades-long cover-up that denied justice to families, survivors, and a city unfairly maligned.
The Hillsborough Law – a call for a legal duty of candour on public officials – emerged from that painful history. It is not simply about the past; it is about building a better future where no grieving family has to face the double injustice of state failure followed by state cover-up. It promises to rebalance a system that has, for too long, allowed institutions to close ranks, lie, and obstruct accountability without consequence.
That’s why Labour’s failure to meet the deadline for this year’s 36th anniversary is not just disappointing – it’s devastating. Liverpool has placed its trust in Labour for generations. Our city has been there for Labour at its darkest moments, believing in the party’s promise to stand for fairness and working-class communities. Yet on an issue so central to our identity and our sense of justice, uncertainty and half-measures are simply not good enough.
The core of the Hillsborough Law is straightforward: a statutory duty of candour on all public bodies and officials. That means that when incidents occur, those in power must proactively tell the truth, share all relevant information, and cooperate fully with investigations and inquiries. No more defensive PR operations. No more smear campaigns against victims. No more families forced to battle the system for decades just to have their loved ones’ names cleared.
Without a full Hillsborough Law, the cycle of cover-ups will just continue. From Grenfell to the infected blood scandal, we have seen time and again that institutions act to protect themselves first – and leave ordinary people to pay the price.
The urgency for such a law has been clear for years. Campaigners, the Hillsborough families, and legal experts have been consistent: without systemic reform, injustice will be repeated. The government has dragged its feet, and Labour’s promise of change had offered real hope.
Deadlines have come and gone, and concrete commitments have also been disregarded. Vague assurances and warm words are not enough. Liverpool deserves – and demands – more.
Labour must recognise that inaction sends a message. It tells the Hillsborough families that, after everything, their fight still isn’t politically convenient enough to warrant swift and definitive action. It tells other communities across Britain that their chances of truth and justice are still hostage to political calculations.
This is not about party politics. It’s about right and wrong. Our city has waited too long, fought too hard, and endured too much to accept anything less than full, binding legal change.
Liverpool is a proud city – proud of its history, its culture, and above all its sense of solidarity. The campaign for justice after Hillsborough helped shape our modern identity: a fierce refusal to be silenced, a stubborn loyalty to the truth, and an unshakable belief in collective action.
Failure to fully deliver and implement an appropriate Hillsborough Law would be a profound betrayal of that spirit. It would deepen the mistrust between working-class communities and the political establishment. It would tell future victims of injustice that, when it matters most, they will be abandoned.
As a city, we are not asking for special treatment. We are demanding a basic standard of decency and justice that every citizen deserves. When lives are lost due to state failure, when institutions collude to hide the truth, there must be accountability.
The Hillsborough Law is not optional. It is a moral necessity.
Labour still has time to do the right thing – but that window is closing fast. A firm and full Hillsborough Law must be legislated, without caveats, without watering down, and without any further delay.
The people of Liverpool do not forget. We will not rest until truth and justice are not privileges but guarantees. We will accept nothing less than the full implementation of the Hillsborough Law. Anything less is a betrayal.
Kim Johnson is the Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside.
