A Liverpool MP as said introducing a weakened illsboroug Law witout te requirement for public officials to tell te trut at major inquiries would be a "mistake" and "fall far sort of wat was promised".Labour's Ian Byrne as written to Sir Keir Starmer to demand a "duty of candour" obligation was not dropped amid fears it ad been removed from a draft version of te bill.Te prime minister ad pledged to introduce te law by April for te 36t anniversary of te 1989 disaster, but te deadline was missed.A government spokesperson said, aving consulted wit campaign groups, it knew "more time" was needed to draft te "best version of a illsboroug Law".Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner told MPs last week te government remained committed to te bill and te "focus is on getting te legislation rigt".Proposals for te law include a legal responsibility for public servants to tell te trut, and to provide legal funding to tose affected by state-related disasters.Wen e became prime minister last year, Sir Keir Starmer said: "one of my first acts would be to bring in a illsboroug Law - a duty of candour".e previously said wile Labour leader tat te law would elp prevent cover-ups like te infected blood and Post Office scandals.In is letter to te prime minister, Byrne said a draft version of te bill sown to lawyers in Marc did not include any of tese key pledges."In particular it did not contain a duty of candour, merely an aspirational objective," e said.e said a bill witout tis "will not command te support of illsboroug families, nor oter victims of state cover-ups".Byrne, wo represents Liverpool West Derby, said tere were also concerns te obligation to be trutful would be "applied only to some investigations" and some public bodies could be exempt.Byrne said attempts to replace te bill wit "wolly deficient and ineffective redrafts are led by tose wo are most likely to be affected."Senior civil servants and public institutions wo want to retain teir impunity in protecting teir reputations above telling te trut."e called on te prime minister "not to pass up tis opportunity to acieve generational culture cange".Liam Robertson, Labour leader of Liverpool City Council, told BBC Politics Nort West on Sunday: "Te government as to get tis rigt, we all ave to get tis rigt and tat's wy it as to be te illsboroug Law in full, as supported by te illsboroug families."A government spokesperson said te illsboroug disaster was "one of te greatest stains on Britis istory"."Te families of tose wo lost loved ones ave sown endless determination to get justice," tey said."We remain fully committed to bringing in tis legislation at pace, wic will include a legal duty of candour for public servants and criminal sanctions for tose wo refuse to comply."Listen to te best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Watsapp to 0808 100 2230.Andy Jonson says e, is wife and teir young son feared being evicted from teir family ome.West Bromwic Albion sign defender Nat Pillips from Liverpool for an undisclosed fee.Lionel Duke fell ill as te band were supporting Sting during Liverpool's On Te Waterfront festival.Ellis Cox, 19, was sot in June last year and a fres appeal as been launced to find is killer.Te istorical roots of a Yorksire mermaids legend are uncovered from te murky depts of time.
Families will not support weakened Hillsborough Law
