MPs vote on Hillsborough amendment as Starmer and Burnham address Commons

Key events

Shadow justice minister Dr Kieran Mullan says while what happened at Hillsbrough can’t be undone, what could have changed was the truth of what happened to their loved ones being told to them.

He is heckled as he accuses the government of taking too long to deliver the Bill.

Starmer responses by saying he has kept his promise to the Hillsbrough families to deliver the Bill.

The PM added: “I come here today not to take credit for this government or this House, but as prime minister, to put on our national record exactly where the credit belongs, because it belongs to the families and to the campaigners. And I pay tribute to every one of them.”

Starmer concludes: “I am grateful to every member of this House and in the other place across the political divide who worked constructively with us to get us to this point and turn this long-denied cry for justice into the law of this land.

“It is long, long overdue.”

Starmer says the Bill has been “too long coming” but with the third reading “we stand on the precipice of change”.

Starmer adds the Hillsbrough families, some of whom are in the Commons, fought so know one would go through what they went through.

He adds there is a “class element to this” and their appeals for help were ignored by the state because they are working class, or black, or were women and girls.

Keir Starmer is now starting the Hillsbrough Law debate.

The PM said he remembers when he first met the Hillsbrough bereaved and campaigners 15 years, ago, descring it as a “humbling experience and he was taken aback by their courage.

He added as a “father of teenager who come to watch footballl with me, I dont think I could do that myself. To keep going, going and going” when the state kept obstructing them.

Starmer said it was “a stain on our history”.

The result is in on amendment 19. The ayes voted 104, the noes voted 412. A majority of 308.

MPs have now divided to vote on amendment 19 to the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, which has been tabled by Kieran Mullan, a Tory justice spokesperson.

It would require the Attorney General to consent to the prosecution of anyone for the offence of misleading the public.

The Lib Dem amendment has been defeated. Nadeem Badshah is taking over now, and he will be covering the Keir Starmer and Andy Burnham speeches in the third reading debate which is about to start.

In the Commons, MPs are now voting on an amendment tabled by the Conservatives. It has been tabled by Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, and in his written explanation he says it “ensures that the duty of candour and assistance may require a person who works for an intelligence service, military intelligence, the NCA, Counter Terrorism Command or the armed forces to provide security or intelligence information with the consent of the head of their service”.

In the Commons MPs are now voting on amendments to the Hillsborough law bill.

The main government amendments, removing the opt-out for the security services, have been gone through on the nod.

MPs are now debating an amendment tabled by the Liberal Democrats. It is amendment 3. In their explanation of it in the Commons list of amendments, they say it “requires public authorities or officials who are assisting an inquiry, investigation or inquest to demonstrate that they have taken steps to ensure relevant persons can safely disclose information relevant to an investigation”.

Government intends to make 'broad use' of duty of candour in Hillsborough law, minister tells MPs

In the Commons Catherine Atkinson, the victims minister, rejected suggestions the bill would endanger national security.

In her speech opening the report stage debate, she said:

Nothing in this bill or its practical effect changes our position in relation to national security.

Many in our public services work in sensitive roles, where revealing their identity could put them at risk, or others at risk.

The bill does not require anyone to breach any other law – it expressly states that it does not override existing legislation, including the Official Secrets Act 1989.

The bill contains a specific protection for the requirement to notify for employees of the intelligence services and other select bodies where they cannot come forward.

However, there may be other situations where notifying may carry a similar risk.

I want to make it clear that a public servant does not have to come forward until it is safe to do so but steps must be taken without delay to ensure a notification can be made safely.

Atkinson also said ministers “intend to make broad use” of the duty of candour, telling MPs it could extend to “investigations into police misconduct, serious healthcare incidents like major maternity reviews, such as the Leeds and Sussex maternity services review, serious health and safety investigations, and key ombudsman investigations”.