Parties pledge to back 'Hillsborough Law'

Families and campaigners have been seeking answers for over 30 years about why 96 people died

Labour and the Liberal Democrats have backed a proposed "Hillsborough Law".

The mayors of Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester called for the move, which would grant more rights to bereaved families and place a "duty of candour" on public officials.

Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats said they would seek to implement the law after the election.

The Conservative Party said it was "looking at" the bid and families must have "all the support they need".

Mayors Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham made the call in a letter after Hillsborough match-day commander David Duckenfield was cleared of manslaughter last week.

Implementing the Hillsborough Law would be achieved by reintroducing the Public Authority (Accountability) Bill, which would require parity of legal funding for bereaved families and public bodies. It failed to go through before the 2017 general election.

The 1989 Hillsborough disaster unfolded due to a crush in the Leppings Lane end of the stadium

A spokesman for the Labour Party said shadow home secretary Diane Abbott and shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon both wrote to then-prime minister Theresa May in 2017 asking for support for the measure.

A spokesman for the Liberal Democrats confirmed the party would back the proposal after supporting the original bill in 2017.