Lord David Blunkett has said he “deeply” regrets not doing more for Hillsborough families and campaigners while serving as Home Secretary. The time taken to bring about the Hillsborough Law could have been “shortened enormously” if politicians had taken more responsibility following the disaster, Lord Blunkett told the House of Lords on Tuesday.
Regret over role as MP and Home Secretary
The peer, who was MP for the Sheffield area in which the 1989 disaster took place, where 97 Liverpool fans were killed in a crush during an FA Cup semi-final match, spoke of his regret at not doing more as a cabinet minister in the Blair government.
He was speaking during the second reading of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, informally known as the Hillsborough Law, which will create a legally enforceable duty of candour which compels public officials and authorities to act transparently when investigations and inquiries take place.
Lord Blunkett said: “I’ve been reflecting personally over the last year or two about the 1989 disaster and whether I could have done a great deal more afterwards as the member of Parliament in whose constituency the Hillsborough Stadium is located.”
He added: “I’ve reflected on how little I did as Home Secretary, and I regret that deeply because the time that it’s taken to bring about this Bill, and the recognition that goes with it, could have been shortened enormously if some of us had taken more responsibility at that time.”
Police briefing 'entirely wrong'
Families of those killed were forced to fight a long campaign to get to the truth behind the disaster in the face of obstruction by the authorities. Lord Blunkett praised them for their “incredible tenacity and commitment” to bringing about change.
He also spoke of how his father-in-law had been at the match, which he remembered until his death “as though it was yesterday”. Lord Blunkett told peers he was a new MP for the area when the game took place.
He said: “We were briefed by the police entirely wrongly.
“To this day, I’m grateful that, for once, I didn’t believe the police – other members of Parliament did.
“The lies that were told on that day are a stain on the South Yorkshire Police and the force in general, but they do not need to be a stain on the community I was proud to represent.”
Tribute to Sir Keir Starmer and Andy Burnham
He also paid tribute to both former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and current PM Andy Burnham for pushing the Bill forward. Mr Burnham had been Lord Blunkett’s aide during the time the latter was Home Secretary.
The draft legislation was one of Sir Keir’s key promises in Labour’s 2024 manifesto and was originally due to be delivered April 15 last year, on the 36th anniversary of the disaster.
However, it stalled following concerns from campaigners over its application to intelligence agencies. In July, it was amended to bring spies within the scope of the duty of candour, but with a “secure process” for disclosing information that could affect national security.
