Families and campaigners accuse the PM of not having ‘the guts’ to stand up to the security services as Liverpool MP warns he may have to vote against the bill
19:03, 14 Jan 2026Updated 19:28, 14 Jan 2026
The future of the Hillsborough Law is hanging in the balance(Image: PA)
Campaigners have said they cannot support the Hillsborough Law in its current form after a meeting with the Prime Minister today ended with no agreement. Those involved with the campaign have accused Sir Keir Starmer of “not having the guts” to stand up to the security services.
Some Labour MPs have said they could find themselves forced to vote against the government on the Hillsborough Law they have campaigned for.
Families of those unlawfully killed at the 1989 Hillsborough disaster joined those who lost loved ones in the 2017 Manchester Arena attack and other campaigners for urgent talks about the landmark legislation in Parliament today.
The Hillsborough Law, which is officially known as the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, aims to bring in a duty of candour for public officials that could see them face criminal sanctions if they do not tell the truth.
But there are grave concerns at what campaigners have called a ‘carve out’ for the intelligence and community services following an amendment put forward by the government. This would effectively exempt organisations like MI5 from the duty of candour, meaning the head of that service could decide when information should or should not be revealed.
The amendments proposed by the government have brought spies within the scope of the legislation, but subject to the approval of the head of their service.
The row over this element of the legislation saw a key vote at the Bill’s committee stage delayed from today (Wednesday) to Monday, allowing families and campaigners to meet with the Prime Minister for urgent talks in London today.
But after the meeting, they were left disappointed and frustrated.
Elkan Abrahamson is a key figure in the Hillsborough Law campaign (Image: Liverpool Echo)
Elkan Abrahamson, a lawyer for the Hillsborough Law Now campaign, said the amendments allowed the heads of the security services to make “whatever decision they want” on whether to disclose information and left them “unchallengeable”.
He told ITV: “Given that the carve out for the security services has not been removed and that the head of the security services in effect decides what information can go to an inquiry or inquest, this is not a law that satisfies the Hillsborough families and at present they can’t support it.”
Speaking about the Prime Minister, Mr Abrahamson added: “Frankly if he hasn’t got the guts to stand up to the security services it doesn’t matter how long he’s going to take we’re not going to get to a position where we’re all in agreement.”
Liverpool West Derby Labour MP Ian Byrne, a Hillsborough survivor and the parliamentary lead for the campaign, said he may now have to vote against his own government on a law he has campaigned for over a number of years.
He told the ECHO: “As it currently stands you can’t really call it a Hillsborough Law if it has carve outs that create cover ups.
“I cannot put into words how absolutely gutted I am. The thought of having to walk through the lobbies to vote against a Hillsborough Law, you can imagine what that is doing to me.
“It is soul destroying. I can’t support an amendment that creates carve-outs and which isn’t supported by the families. It feels like snatching defeat from the jaws of victory at this final hurdle after all the work and effort that has been put in.”
He added: “The Prime Minister needs to do what he promised, which is a Hillsborough Law that is not watered down, which will change the culture of cover ups in this country. He has capitulated to the security services.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Knowsley MP Anneliese Midgley had sought assurances that security services would be fully covered by the Duty of Candour with a question at Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons.
Responding, Sir Keir said he had “always been clear the duty of candour applies to the intelligence services” and said the proposed amendments to the Bill did not water it down.
He added: “It is right that there are essential safeguards in place to protect national security, and we’ve got that balance right.”
But that is not the view of the families and campaigners that met him this afternoon.
Ruth Leney, who chairs the Manchester Arena Support Network, told the Press Association that Sir Keir had “listened”, but added: “It’s not the outcome that we expected.
“It’s got to be all or nothing, they can’t water down anything, especially with the security services. We can’t trust the Bill if not everybody is accountable to it.”
A spokesperson for the Hillsborough Law Now campaign group told the ECHO: “We want to support this landmark legislation but we stand in solidarity with the Manchester Arena families and others who have been wronged by the intelligence services.
“A Hillsborough Law that wouldn’t prevent the same lies being told to the Manchester Arena families is not a Hillsborough Law. We have given the government a solution. They must take it.”
A Government spokesperson said: “We are bringing in a landmark piece of legislation to end the culture of cover ups and make sure people are never lied to by those who are meant to keep them safe.
“This would not have been possible without the tireless campaigning from victims and families who have lost loved ones and we are determined to make this bill a lasting legacy to the decades they have called for change.
“We have listened to their concerns on how the duty of candour will apply to the security services and we will continue to work with them to make the bill as strong as it can possibly be, while never compromising on national security.”