Relatives of those killed in the Manchester Arena terror attack have launched a scathing attack on MI5, accusing the security service of a fundamental breach of trust and demanding it be subjected to far greater scrutiny.
Families' fury over intelligence failures
In a letter sent directly to the Prime Minister and seen by the BBC, the grieving families have called for MI5 to be fully included within the scope of new legislation designed to compel truth-telling after public disasters. This demand follows a public inquiry which concluded that the May 2017 attack, which claimed 22 lives, could have been prevented if MI5 had acted on crucial intelligence it had received.
The letter's contents are damning. "How many times must MI5 show that it cannot be trusted before something is done?" it asks, reflecting the profound anger and frustration felt by those who lost loved ones. The families argue that without being bound by the proposed new law, MI5 could continue to operate without the necessary transparency and accountability.
The push for a Hillsborough Law
The proposed legislation, known colloquially as a Hillsborough Law, is formally titled the Public Office (Accountability) Bill. Introduced to Parliament by Sir Keir Starmer, it would place a legal 'duty of candour' on public officials and organisations, forcing them to cooperate fully and tell the truth in the aftermath of major tragedies. The Manchester Arena families insist that this duty must apply unequivocally to the security services.
The attack itself saw suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonate a homemade rucksack bomb in the foyer of the arena at the end of a concert by pop star Ariana Grande. His brother, Hashem Abedi, was convicted of murder and jailed for life with a minimum term of 55 years in August 2020 for his role in assisting the plot.
Ongoing aftermath and compensation
The long shadow of the bombing continues to affect survivors, particularly the youngest. In a separate legal proceeding in December 2025, a judge ruled that almost £20 million is to be paid in compensation to children injured in the blast. At a hearing at the Manchester Civil Courts of Justice, awards ranging from £2,770 to £11.4 million were agreed for 16 victims who were all under 16 at the time of the attack.
The total compensation to be paid amounts to £19,928,150. The court heard how some suffered "catastrophic", life-changing physical injuries, while others endure lasting psychological damage from witnessing the horrific scene. For the families, this financial settlement is a small acknowledgment of a lifelong sentence, but their primary fight remains for systemic change to ensure such intelligence failures are never repeated.
