Labour

There must be no delay in justice and accountability over Hillsborough - Burnham and Cooper

Andy Burnham MP, Labour's Shadow Health Secretary, calling for a new inquest into the deaths of 96 people at Hillsborough, said:

“The families have waited 23 years too long for the truth, so there now must be no delay in bringing justice and accountability. We need a new inquest that looks at the original statements of police officers on duty that day, and not the statements that were amended and skewed by senior police officers.
 
“Yesterday the full truth was finally uncovered - anyone reading the panel’s report could not possibly conclude that Hillsborough was an accident. I will not rest until the verdict of accidental death is overturned.”

Yvette Cooper MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, calling on the Home Secretary to set up a separate investigation into South Yorkshire Police, said:

“As the families who have campaigned so hard have said: we now have truth but we also need justice.

“The Hillsborough Independent Panel’s report is shocking and disturbing both about the events that led to the terrible death of 96 people and about the awful cover-up afterwards.

"As Andy Burnham has made clear, we need the inquest to be reopened as rapidly as possible with full access to all the original unaltered evidence.

“But the double injustice for the families is in the scale and extent of the cover up and the denial of truth by people and institutions that exist to provide just that. Clearly the inquest must focus on the terrible loss of life and will not focus on the subsequent misinformation and altering of evidence.

“That is why we are asking the Home Office to set out a proper separate investigation into the cover-up and what happened in South Yorkshire Police, including looking at criminal offences.

“To see what appears to be a systemic cover up including the alteration of over 100 statements and an attempt to deny justice for 96 people who died within an institution whose purpose is to protect the public and pursue justice is truly appalling.

"People need to have confidence in the police and need to be certain that they will pursue the truth in all circumstances. Even though these events took place 23 years ago it is important to public confidence in the integrity of police forces that these issues are taken extremely seriously and investigated. The Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police has said 'that if people have broken the law then they should be prosecuted', and his force would cooperate with any new inquiry.

“We have today asked the Home Secretary to look at establishing a proper investigation into this. The most appropriate way to do this would appear to be for the Independent Police Complaints Commission to oversee a criminal investigation.

“However, I would like reassurances that the IPCC would have the powers and the investigative capacity to pursue this properly, or what alternatives there might be.

“It is clear as the Prime Minister said yesterday that previous inquiries have not been sufficient. Justice must be done and lessons must be learnt. Those who acted criminally or inappropriately must face the consequences and this should never be allowed to happen again.”