Liverpool’s Slot Slams UK Delay on Hillsborough Law

Arne Slot has come out swinging. Liverpool’s manager hasn’t minced his words. He’s openly “surprised” and, frankly, baffled that the Hillsborough Law is still gathering dust in Parliament instead of making the difference it should have made decades ago. On the eve of the 37th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, Slot called out the UK government for dragging its feet while families and survivors are left twisting in the wind.

Slot’s comments appeared in black and white ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain. There was no ambiguity. He paid tribute to the victims, survivors, and their families, acknowledging that time hasn’t dulled the pain. If anything, he argues, the lack of action now looks even more like a national disgrace.

This isn’t just a sentimental statement aimed at scoring easy points with fans. Slot insists his stance is rooted in basic decency. He makes it clear his opinion isn’t just because he manages Liverpool. “Bereaved families should not have to fight and campaign for the truth about how their loved ones lost their lives; it should be provided as a matter of course,” he wrote. That’s a direct hit at decades of governmental dithering and institutional inertia.

The saga has become a farce. The so-called Hillsborough Law, officially the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, was featured in Labour’s 2024 manifesto. It promised a new era in which public officials would be legally obliged to tell the truth during disaster inquiries and investigations. The aim: a legal “duty of candour.” Sounds simple, but apparently not simple enough for Westminster.

In reality, this bill has been mired in political gridlock since its introduction last September. The sticking point is whether intelligence services should be forced to comply with these new transparency rules. After months of wrangling behind closed doors, ministers pulled amendments at the last minute over fears that intelligence agencies might avoid being held accountable. Survivor groups have suspected a cover-up from day one, and who can blame them?

Slot doesn’t want platitudes, he wants action—and he wants it now. “It surprises me that this is still to be introduced,” he repeated, hammering home his disbelief at government stalling tactics. He wasn’t alone in raising the pressure. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faced a grilling in Parliament from West Derby MP Ian Byrne, who was present on that horrific day in 1989, about why justice keeps getting delayed for those affected by state incompetence or worse.

Starmer insisted he would deliver on his promise to get the law through Parliament. But this has been said before, more than once. Now there’s talk that intelligence chiefs will have to make court applications if they want disclosures exempted, a legalistic maze that campaigners fear could still leave plenty of room for secrecy.

Slot made it clear: there are no excuses left. “The best way for the country to honour them after all this time would be to introduce the law that the Hillsborough families and fellow campaigners are asking for.” Empty commemorations mean nothing if they aren’t followed up by real change.

As Liverpool prepared to mark another painful anniversary, not just with moments of silence but by demanding accountability, Slot put it bluntly. Almost four decades after 97 fans lost their lives due to police blunders and official failures, Britain still hasn’t learned its lesson. Until politicians deliver what they’ve promised, expect voices like Slot’s to get louder and angrier with every passing year.

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill remains stuck in limbo as ministers face mounting pressure from both campaigners and front-line voices like Slot to finally act on promises instead of peddling more delay.