‘Hillsborough Law could be Keir Starmer’s legacy’

Charlotte Hennessy, whose father James was among the 97 people unlawfully killed in the disaster, told the BBC she welcomed Andy Burnham’s return to Westminster as MP for Makerfield.

However, she added she did not believe there was any need to wait for him to secure his position as Sir Keir’s successor before the legislation was implemented.

“It was written in 2017, it’s been amended along the way. There’s no reason [Sir Keir] can’t endorse that original bill,” she said.

Burnham has a long history of supporting the Hillsborough campaign, and as culture secretary in 2010 he pressured the then Labour government to commission the landmark Hillsborough Independent Panel report.

Hennessy said: “Andy Burnham launched our campaign group, and Andy also had a part to play in the writing of the bill, so I have got no doubt whatsoever that it’s definitely going to be a priority, but my concern is there will still be these barriers from the intelligence agencies.”

In a statement, the Hillsborough Law Now campaign said: “We recognise that it was Sir Keir Starmer who campaigned for the Hillsborough Law to become a manifesto pledge in 2023, and for that, and for his continued support, we are grateful.

“He did not forget us. While we are disappointed by the continued barriers and delays, we thank him for helping us reach this point when many other prime ministers did not even try.”