David Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Ministers should release all government documents relating to the Hillsborough disaster, MPs have agreed following a debate in the House of Commons. MP Steve Rotheram, opening the debate, said there had been a campaign to blame Liverpool fans. He called on the prime minister to issue a formal apology.  Home Secretary Theresa May told MPs the government supported the release of all papers, via an independent panel.  Ninety-six Liverpool fans died in the disaster in April 1989.  The debate was sparked by 140,000 people signing an e-petition.  Mr Rotheram, whose Walton constituency includes Anfield, said David Cameron had apologised to the victims of Bloody Sunday and called on him to do the same for those affected by Hillsborough.  "I call on the prime minister to make a statement in this house and apologise for the mistakes that were made and the mishandling of this whole tragedy on behalf of a previous government," he said.  The Labour MP attacked the "smears" and "establishment cover-up" which led to fans initially being blamed for the disaster.  "Instead of those at fault taking responsibility for their actions, a co-ordinated campaign began to shift the blame and look for scapegoats," he said.  "It is claimed that truth is the first casualty of war, but the same can be said of Hillsborough.  "Misdirection, obfuscation and damned lies were all used as smokescreens to deflect attention away from the guilty."  Mr Rotheram attacked claims that Liverpool fans had turned up late, without tickets and were drinking heavily.  A "senior police officer and a Conservative MP" leaked stories to the press about the disaster, he said.  He criticised the Sun newspaper over its "The Truth" headline and its story about drunken and criminal behaviour by Liverpool fans.  The cause of the tragedy was clear from Lord Justice Taylor's report, he said, "which concluded that the police fundamentally lost control of the situation and did not demonstrate the leadership expected of senior officers".  Mr Rotheram said the "misinformation" began almost as soon as the match, a FA Cup semi-final tie between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, was abandoned.  The match commander told the FA that Liverpool fans had rushed a gate, creating the crush. "This disgraceful lie set the tone for all that came later," he said.  Mr Rotheram read out the names of the 96 who had died, as campaigners looked on from the public gallery.  Home Secretary Theresa May apologised for any anxiety caused by the decision to oppose a Freedom of Information request from the BBC but it was right that the families should receive the information first as they needed to be treated with "dignity and respect".  Mrs May said: "I will do everything in my power to ensure the families and the public get the truth.  "No government papers will be withheld from the panel, no attempts to suppress publication will be made, no stone left unturned."  The independent Hillsborough panel already has some cabinet papers, she said.  But she said there may be some "minor redactions", including the names of some junior civil servants and the details of the victims' medical files, which would be a matter for the panel.  Mr Burnham, speaking for the opposition, said the disaster and the events following it, were "one of the biggest injustices of the 20th Century".  He said moves to blame the victims for the tragedy were "unprecedented". He added: "It was an unbelievable act of brutality against the 96 fans."  Mr Burnham also read from police papers which quoted an officer who watched as fans used advertising hoardings to ferry the injured.  A senior officer had written that the pages should be amended because "these are his own Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members FLips Posted October 18, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted October 18, 2011 Might sound a bit insensitive, but it's been 22 years. Why does our current Prime Minister need to apologise for it, and moreso why are people even still going on about it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.PeterVenkman Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Might sound a bit insensitive, but it's been 22 years. Why does our current Prime Minister need to apologise for it, and moreso why are people even still going on about it?  I get the feeling you're about to find out  I think he should apologise personally, As David pointed out, It can't do any harm and will at the very least give some comfort to some of the families Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted October 18, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted October 18, 2011 Why does our current Prime Minister need to apologise for it I'm not sure he does. I don't think it particularly helps. Â and moreso why are people even still going on about it? "moreso" makes you sound like a cunt. The facts have never been fully disclosed. There are hundreds of people who lost loved ones and still don't know why. They will "go on about it" until the day they find out the truth, as would anyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GalaxyV.2 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 He needs to apologise on behalf of the British Government for the cover ups and the failings that haver gone on for 20 odd years. He did it with Bloody Sunday. He holds the position of power thus he is representative of the Government. Its symbolic but can mean a lot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted October 18, 2011 Author Share Posted October 18, 2011 He needs to apologise on behalf of the British Government for the cover ups and the failings that haver gone on for 20 odd years. He did it with Bloody Sunday. He holds the position of power thus he is representative of the Government. Its symbolic but can mean a lot That's how I see it to be honest. Whilst no one really expects him to apologise personally, he does have to apologise on behalf of the Government. Â It's the right thing to do, and it'll go some way to allowing everyone to try to move on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I watched the programme last night. It was horrible to watch. To think that 96 people went to a game of football and didn't come home is just something that's so hard to fathom. Now I have no connection Liverpool whatsoever, but I can certainly feel why mums, dads, brothers, sisters, aunties and uncles want to know why their relatives didn't make it back. Ten 14 year olds were crushed at the front and they don't officially know why? It must be terrible. The least Cameron can do is apoogise. It's not his fault personally, but as said above, its his duty to do so on behalf of all the previous governments. Â Whoever'd fault it was, they need the facts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awards Moderator Frankie Crisp Posted October 18, 2011 Awards Moderator Share Posted October 18, 2011 Might sound a bit insensitive, but it's been 22 years. Why does our current Prime Minister need to apologise for it, and moreso why are people even still going on about it? Fucking hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted October 18, 2011 Author Share Posted October 18, 2011 Might sound a bit insensitive, but it's been 22 years. Why does our current Prime Minister need to apologise for it, and moreso why are people even still going on about it? Fucking hell. I never even saw that post earlier. Do you seriously believe that TG? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Houchen Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I watched most of the debate and was delighted to hear the calls for Kelvin McKenzie to apologise and name his supposed sources for his revolting headlines. Hopefully this will go some way for the families to be able to have these smears removed once and for all. Personally, I think if the documents showed the police were not at fault at all and that fans were some way to blame, these documents would have been in the public domain a very long time ago. Â I don't mean for this to sound insensitive, what would happen if the documents didn't give some people the answers they were hoping for? Will they still be campaigning or will they accept what is said? I just hope that the families get the truth, they deserve that at the very least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Chris B Posted October 18, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted October 18, 2011 I'd be far more interested in the head of the Police force and Kelvin McKenzie apologising than I would David Cameron. Â While it doesn't do any harm for him to do so, I don't quite see how it's relevant. The situation with Bloody Sunday was connected with defense, so there's more of a clear political connection than with the Police and Hillsborough. Â Am I missing something? Â I'm usually against sources being exposed, but blatantly false sources? Yeah, that's a different situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Houchen Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 While it doesn't do any harm for him to do so, I don't quite see how it's relevant. The situation with Bloody Sunday was connected with defense, so there's more of a clear political connection than with the Police and Hillsborough. Well, there is the suggestion that it was payback for the miners strike, Liverpudlians were key in that struggle, usually against South Yorkshire Police and of course, the tory govenment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Chris B Posted October 18, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted October 18, 2011 While it doesn't do any harm for him to do so, I don't quite see how it's relevant. The situation with Bloody Sunday was connected with defense, so there's more of a clear political connection than with the Police and Hillsborough. Well, there is the suggestion that it was payback for the miners strike, Liverpudlians were key in that struggle, usually against South Yorkshire Police and of course, the tory govenment. Â Not sure that I can see that one, to be honest. Most of the mistakes were made on the ground, and in the press. Â Done a bit more reading, and it looks like the apology is being sought for the delay that releasing the documents has involved. Which is fair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted October 18, 2011 Author Share Posted October 18, 2011 Wasn't a fair bit of the problem with the media centered around The S*n newspaper? They've got a history with Liverpool going back to the miners strikes, have they not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Chris B Posted October 18, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted October 18, 2011 Wasn't a fair bit of the problem with the media centered around The S*n newspaper? They've got a history with Liverpool going back to the miners strikes, have they not? Â Yes. The Sun went after the fans with enthusiasm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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