SOUTH YORKSHIRE MAYOR RESPONDS TO HILLSBOROUGH LAW ANNOUNCEMENT

Published 16 September 2025 at 3:45pm

Responding to the government’s announcement that they will introduce a Hillsborough law, South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said:

 “Today marks a historic and long overdue moment. The introduction of the Hillsborough Law is not just a piece of legislation - it’s a promise kept to the 97 who lost their lives at Hillsborough, their families, and the survivors who have fought so hard for decades to secure truth and justice.

 “The Hillsborough Law will help ensure that the cover-ups, delays, and denials faced by those families can never be repeated. By placing a clear duty of candour on public officials, providing equal legal representation for bereaved families, and holding those in power accountable when they mislead or conceal the truth, the Hillsborough Law represents a fundamental change in how our country responds when things go wrong. It is crucial that public officials act with honesty and integrity - and there are clear consequences when this isn't the case.

 “Here in South Yorkshire, we carry a particular responsibility to acknowledge the failures of the past, and to ensure those failures are never allowed to happen again.  

“I want to pay tribute to the campaigners who have made today possible. Their fight has always been about more than Hillsborough alone; it has been about fairness for every family touched by tragedy. The Hillsborough Law will now stand as a safeguard for generations to come - to ensure truth is never again concealed by the state.”