Mayors Urge Government to Withdraw Hillsborough Law Amendment Over 'Too Broad' Security Opt-Out

The mayors of Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester, Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham, have issued a joint call for the UK Government to withdraw a controversial amendment to the Hillsborough Law ahead of Monday's parliamentary debate. They argue the change creates an overly broad opt-out for security services, risking the undermining of the bill's core spirit.[1][2]

In a statement posted on X, the mayors emphasized: "An important part of strengthening the country’s defences is establishing the truth at the earliest opportunity when things go wrong... if drafted correctly, the Hillsborough Law could create a culture in all public services where that is the norm. As it stands, we believe the Government's amendment in relation to the security services creates too broad an opt-out."[1][2] They praised the government's "huge strides" on the legislation but urged ministers to collaborate with families and the Hillsborough Law Now campaign for a compromise solution acceptable to all sides.

The mayors, who have witnessed "devastating incidents" in their regions—including the 1989 Hillsborough disaster that killed 97 Liverpool fans and the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing—stressed they would never support measures compromising national security.[1][2]

Critics, including Labour MP Anneliese Midgley, highlighted MI5's alleged six-year concealment of information post-Manchester bombing. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer defended the amendments, insisting the duty of candour fully applies to intelligence services without dilution.[1][2]

Separately, Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne has tabled amendments to explicitly extend the duty to intelligence organizations and their personnel, ensuring individual accountability.[1][2][3] The debate, originally scheduled earlier, was delayed to allow government revisions addressing campaigners' concerns.[2]

The Hillsborough Law aims to foster institutional truth-telling after failures, named after the Sheffield stadium crush during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.[2]

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