The news that all the Hillsborough papers - possibly as many as 300,000 - are to be released to the families is a victory for football fans - particularly those who support Liverpool. Their 22 year wait for the facts about the tragedy has gone on far too long.
It's a campaign that has won wide polical support from all sides - including from Nick Clegg back in August as this blog reported.
Without taking away from the long campaign of the families and the 140,000 people who signed the e-petition one wonders if a majority government - rather than the more collegiate and open style of the coalition - would have been so easy to convince that releasing the files was the right thing to do?
Showing posts with label Liverpool. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Liverpool. Show all posts
17 October 2011
17 August 2011
Clegg should release Hillsborough files
The Cabinet Office is to appeal against the Information Commissioner's decision to release papers under the Freedom of Information act revealing Mrs Thatcher's views about the 1989 tragedy.
Their reasoning is that an independent panel is currently looking at all the papers and will decide what should be released to the public.
As can be seen from the Liverpool Echo report - there is little support for this view - principally because of a lack of trust of the authorities from survivors and supporters.
It's an entirely self defeating move by the Cabinet Office. If the panel agrees with the commissioner it will releases the papers. If it doesn't they will be subject to another FoI request without the grounds for the current appeal.
Clegg - who is in charge of the Cabinet Office - should step in and insist the appeal is dropped. It's not about the technicalities - it is about trust. And thousands of people in Liverpool do not trust the authorities as a result of years of cover ups, delays and backside covering by those in the know.
So Clegg should cut through the red tape and release the files. And by doing so take the first steps in the process of re-building trust with those affected by the tragedy and at the same time highlight to the people of Liverpool the difference having Lib Dems in government can make.
Their reasoning is that an independent panel is currently looking at all the papers and will decide what should be released to the public.
As can be seen from the Liverpool Echo report - there is little support for this view - principally because of a lack of trust of the authorities from survivors and supporters.
It's an entirely self defeating move by the Cabinet Office. If the panel agrees with the commissioner it will releases the papers. If it doesn't they will be subject to another FoI request without the grounds for the current appeal.
Clegg - who is in charge of the Cabinet Office - should step in and insist the appeal is dropped. It's not about the technicalities - it is about trust. And thousands of people in Liverpool do not trust the authorities as a result of years of cover ups, delays and backside covering by those in the know.
So Clegg should cut through the red tape and release the files. And by doing so take the first steps in the process of re-building trust with those affected by the tragedy and at the same time highlight to the people of Liverpool the difference having Lib Dems in government can make.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)