Prime Minister to Remove Spy Chiefs' Blanket Veto on Hillsborough Law
The prime minister is set to abandon plans that would have granted security services a blanket exemption from a law aimed at preventing cover-ups in public life.
The Hillsborough Law will establish a "duty of candour" requiring public authorities to be truthful and cooperative during disaster inquiries.
As initially reported by The Times, intelligence chiefs will no longer be able to block spies from providing evidence. Instead, if national security concerns arise, they will be required to apply to a court for partial or full exemption of disclosures.
Relatives of the victims of the 1989 football disaster, along with other campaigners advocating for the Hillsborough Law, have expressed surprise at these recent developments.
'Working with families'
In the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest held in Sheffield, a terrace crush resulted in the deaths of 97 fans.
Ministers have faced increasing pressure from Labour backbenchers regarding whether security services should be treated differently from other public bodies under the new legislation.
Families of the Hillsborough victims have also criticised the government for the delayed implementation of the law, describing the delay as an "insult."
The Hillsborough Law was initially promised by Sir Keir Starmer during his tenure as leader of the opposition in 2022.
However, progress of the bill through Parliament stalled earlier this year due to disagreements between the government and campaigners over how the legal duty of candour should apply to intelligence agencies.
The previous proposal allowed intelligence service chiefs to veto officers from giving evidence that might risk national security breaches.
Under the government's revised plans, security services must now submit a specific court application if they seek exemption from the law.
'Get this right'
The director of the Hillsborough Law Now group, Pete Weatherby KC, told the BBC:
"We have had no update from government, and as far as we are aware none of the outstanding issues have been addressed.
We have no idea what's going on with the progress of the legislation at the moment and will be making no further comment until we are given a government update."
A government spokesperson stated:
"We are working with the families, who have campaigned for decades, to get this bill right.
The bill will fundamentally change how public authorities and officials behave during inquiries and investigations, ensuring honesty and transparency, so the state must always act for the people it serves."
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