Hillsborough law will rewire the state and pass power to the hands of ordinary people, Andy Burnham said as it was backed by MPs in the House of Commons.
The prime minister-in-waiting thanked his “friend” Sir Keir Starmer for his work on the draft law, paying tribute to his “commitment to a country based on justice and fairness”.
Hillsborough law would create a legally enforceable duty of candour which compels public officials and authorities to act transparently when investigations and inquiries take place.
It takes its name from the 1989 disaster at Hillsborough Stadium, in Sheffield, when 97 Liverpool fans were killed in a crush during an FA Cup semi-final match.
Families of those killed were forced to fight a long campaign to get to the truth behind the disaster in the face of obstruction by the authorities.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaks with Margaret Aspinall, during a meeting with family members of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster in Downing Street (Leon Neal/PA)PA ArchiveSir Keir paid tribute to the campaigners as he spoke in the Commons, telling MPs they “have waited years and years too long”.
The legislation, which is formally called the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, was passed unanimously by MPs at third reading on Tuesday.
It will now be sent to the House of Lords for further scrutiny before it can become law.
Mr Burnham said the passage of the Bill through the Commons “puts the right values back at the heart of the country”.
Speaking in the Commons for the first time since his election as Labour MP for Makerfield, Mr Burnham said: “It does feel tonight like life is coming full circle, and as we pass this momentous piece of legislation – a piece of legislation that will change the way this country thinks and works about justice – it truly is a rewiring of the state and a passing of power from the authorities to the hands of ordinary people.
“And it is happening because of the Prime Minister’s commitment to a country based on justice and fairness, and we thank him for that.
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“He has honoured his commitment to the Hillsborough families, and what this House will do in passing this Bill tonight is rebalancing the scales of justice, so that we have justice for ordinary people going forward. And that is some legacy indeed.”
Mr Burnham also said MPs must listen to nuclear test veterans’ call for a special tribunal to look at their experiences, arguing it is “entirely consistent with the aims of the Bill we are passing tonight”.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking during the debate on Hillsborough law (House of Commons/PA)PA WireThe families of those who died during the fatal crush watched from the Commons gallery as the landmark Bill was passed.
Sir Keir had earlier said: “These families, and families across the country affected by this Bill, have waited years and years too long. Years too long.
“I made a promise to these families, looked them in the eye, and said I would bring this forward as soon as I could. And I’ve kept that promise, and I’m proud that this Labour Government is bringing this Bill in.”
This came in response to the Tories who criticised the Prime Minister for rushing through the draft law.
Shadow justice minister Kieran Mullan said: “I would challenge any MP, no matter how supportive of this legislation, with such far-reaching consequences for the operation of the Government to say the progress of this Bill, and particularly over the last 24 hours, is anything like careful and considered.”
The draft legislation was one one of the Prime Minister’s key promises in Labour’s 2024 manifesto and was originally due to be delivered April 15 last year, to mark the 36th anniversary of the disaster.
However, progress was stalled following concerns from campaigners over its application to intelligence agencies.
On Tuesday, it was amended to bring spies within the scope of the duty of candour, but with a “secure process” for disclosing information that could affect national security.
Labour MP Ian Byrne, who was at Hillsborough during the disaster, was visibly emotional as he spoke in the chamber.
Holding back tears, the Liverpool West Derby MP said: “To every survivor, I hope today brings some measure of peace. Not because it can erase the past, nothing ever will, but because your suffering has brought us about lasting change for generations to come.
“For decades I asked myself why I survived. Today, I think, I understand. Not because I’ve done anything extraordinary, but because I was given the privilege of standing here and carrying the voices of people who could no longer speak for themselves.”
In a rare diversion from parliamentary protocol, MPs applauded Mr Byrne’s speech in the Commons.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey described the passage through the Commons as a “historic moment” but said “there is more to do” in relation to whistleblowers.
Margaret Aspinall, a prominent campaigner, said it would be a “drastically important” change for “the ordinary people of this country”.
She told reporters outside Parliament: “We know it’s got to go through the House of Lords, then obviously it’s got to go to the King to be rubber-stamped, but when that day happens, I think that’s the day every one of us deserve to celebrate.”