Starmer’s Labour no friend of working-class people
Joe Woolfall, South Liverpool Socialist Party
The Public Office (Accountability) Bill – commonly known as the Hillsborough Law – was finally introduced after a decade-long struggle by campaigners on 15 September. The legislation brings in a new legal ‘duty of candour’, requiring public officials to act with honesty and integrity at all times, with criminal sanctions for serious breaches.
It also delivers the largest expansion of legal aid in a decade for bereaved families, offering non-means-tested support at inquests. In addition, it creates a new criminal offence of misleading the public, with sanctions for the most serious cases involving those in public office.
At Labour conference last year, Keir Starmer promised the Hillsborough Law would be in place by the 36th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, which killed 97 Liverpool fans. (See ‘Hillsborough verdict – a magnificent testimony to courage and fortitude’ on socialistparty.org.uk). That deadline was missed amid concerns that Labour was watering down the proposals.
Campaigners for Justice for the 97 and Hillsborough survivors have welcomed the bill’s introduction to parliament. But with 36 years of broken promises and delays, many remain cautious. As they point out, nothing is guaranteed until the legislation passes through parliament without being weakened.
It is shameful that it has taken so long for such a law to reach this stage. Since Hillsborough, Britain has faced multiple scandals – including Grenfell and the Post Office Horizon affair – where victims were ignored, blamed, and denied justice. Yet, this bill does not seek to prevent such tragedies; its focus is on providing ‘justice’ only after they occur. Would it have stopped the police negligence and outdated, unsafe stadium conditions that killed the 97?
In reality, the law is designed to give the impression that Labour is on the side of ordinary working-class people while attacks on the working class rain down. While the proposals are welcome, they do nowhere near enough to actually stop another Hillsborough, Grenfell, or infected blood scandal from happening. As written, the bill makes cover-ups harder – but whether vested interests succeed in watering it down remains to be seen. Considering Labour’s record of defending the bosses over the last year, Hillsborough campaigners are right to be concerned.
The determination and fight of campaigners to force Labour to act is to be commended. To prevent tragedies like Hillsborough from ever happening again, we need a system where decisions aren’t made in the interests of profit and big business, but a genuinely democratic society where the working class has a direct say over the decisions that affect our lives – ensuring such avoidable tragedies can never happen again.
