My view: Public Office (Accountability) Bill – Hillsborough Law

Every weekend, 100,000s of people head to football matches across the country.
They will wonder if they leave the match with a win or lose or draw but never if they will get home at all.
But 97 individuals who attended the match at Hillsborough on the 15th of April 1987 never came home, with many more injured.
Over the past 30 years, the families of the victims endured a fight for justice that they never should have had to.
They were forced to see their loved ones dragged through the mud, not just in certain sections of the press, but through the very systems that we seek to uphold.
That is why it is so important that one of the main changes in this bill is a new offence for misleading the public.
Because no matter who you are, if you break the fundamental concept of trust with the public to protect yourself or those around you, you should face the consequences.
We can never take away the years of hurt and torment these families have faced in seeking justice, but we can ensure that no family must go through it again.
Many people in my constituency of Wrexham have a long history and connection with the city of Liverpool and its red team.
I know that they have shared in the hurt of the Hillsborough tragedy and that this Bill will mean a great deal for them.
We cannot right the wrongs of the past, but we can and must learn from them.
That’s why I’m proud to support this Bill, promised in our manifesto and now brought forward by this Labour Government.
I pay tribute to the families and campaigners who have led us to this historic moment and look forward to seeing its passage through the house.