Hillsborough: MP's public advocate bill blocked for 12th time

Ninety-seven Liverpool fans died as a result of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster

The government has been accused of blocking a bill aimed at introducing a public advocate for families like those who lost loved ones at Hillsborough.

The Public Advocate (No 2) Bill would introduce an independent representative for the bereaved and survivors of disasters involving public authorities.

The bill was denied a second reading at the end of Friday's Commons sitting.

Its proposer Maria Eagle questioned if ministers cared about "righting the terrible wrongs" of the 1989 tragedy.

Ninety-seven Liverpool supporters died as a result of a crush during an FA Cup semi-final at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium on 15 April 1989.

In 2016, an inquest jury ruled they were unlawfully killed amid a number of police errors.

'Enormous sympathy'

Ms Eagle, the Labour MP for Garston and Halewood told the Commons the bill had "been introduced repeatedly into Parliament since 2015" and MPs had seen "five bills proceed today".

She said the objection to the bill "today from the government is the 12th time they have objected in the last two years, despite a proposal for a public advocate being in the government's own 2017 manifesto".

"Can you advise me please on how I can convince my constituents, who are families of the 97 unlawfully killed and survivors of that terrible day at Hillsborough, that our government cares about righting the terrible wrongs they have suffered over the last 34 years, and making sure that the lessons of that terrible day are truly learned?"

Deputy Speaker Sir Roger Gale said the whole House had "enormous sympathy with those who suffered at Hillsborough" but told Ms Eagle she could not use a point of order to prolong debate on her bill.

Ms Eagle said she would "bring the proposals back again in March"

Speaking later outside the Commons, Ms Eagle said that after 34 years of waiting, the Hillsborough families "now need legislative change to ensure no other families bereaved by public disasters are treated as they have been by state agencies covering up the truth".

"I will not give up fighting for them and for these measures, and I will bring the proposals back again in March," she added.

Earlier in the week, police chiefs a "cultural change" and apologised to families of Hillsborough victims in an official response to a report by the Right Reverend James Jones, former bishop of Liverpool, into the experiences of the Hillsborough families.

Shadow Justice Secretary Steve Reed said Labour "stands unequivocally with the Hillsborough families".

"There can be no justice for those who died until we stop the same thing ever happening again," he said.

"We've repeatedly called for the Hillsborough Law and making it reality would be a priority of a Labour government."

The bill is set to be debated again on 3 March, but will fall to the bottom of the order paper for the day, meaning MPs will likely run out of time to consider it.

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