One sentence summary – Theresa May, the former Home Secretary and Prime Minister of the UK, revealed that a senior Tory minister hid in a cupboard to avoid meeting with the families of the Hillsborough disaster victims, highlighting the difficulties faced by the families in their pursuit of justice. May’s perspective on the tragedy changed after meeting with the families and seeking advice from the Bishop of Liverpool, leading to the overturning of the original inquest verdicts and the exoneration of the fans’ behavior.
At a glance
- The Hillsborough disaster occurred in April 1989, resulting in the loss of 97 Liverpool supporters.
- The families of the victims faced difficulties in trusting anyone in authority and fought for justice over the years.
- Theresa May, as Home Secretary in 2010, encountered reluctance from ministerial colleagues to meet with the grieving families.
- A senior Tory minister hid in a cupboard to avoid meeting the Hillsborough families, exemplifying the attitude of some colleagues.
- May’s perspective changed after meeting with the families and she continued the work of the independent panel on Hillsborough, which revealed that no Liverpool fans were responsible for the disaster and that police statements had been altered.
The details
In April 1989, the Hillsborough disaster occurred, resulting in the tragic loss of 97 Liverpool supporters.
Over the years, the families of the victims tirelessly fought for justice, facing difficulties in trusting anyone in authority.
When Theresa May became the Home Secretary in 2010, she encountered some reluctance from her ministerial colleagues to meet with the grieving families.
Theresa May recently revealed that a senior Tory minister hid in a cupboard to avoid meeting the Hillsborough families.
She did not disclose the name of the minister but emphasized that this incident exemplified the attitude of some colleagues.
Certain individuals believed that the disaster had occurred too long ago to revisit, while others did not wish to open the door to scrutiny of a Conservative government’s actions at the time.
However, May was convinced to pursue the work that ultimately led to the original inquest verdicts being overturned.
This change of heart occurred after she met with the relatives of the Hillsborough victims.
As a Conservative politician, May recognized the need to work harder to gain the trust of the families and survivors, especially in a city like Liverpool where her party had little support.
May had to make a crucial decision regarding the future of the independent panel on Hillsborough, which had been established by the previous Labour government.
The panel’s objective was to review and publish previously undisclosed documents related to the disaster.
After meeting with the families, May decided to continue the panel’s work.
The independent panel’s findings concluded that no Liverpool fans were responsible for the disaster.
Additionally, it revealed that police statements had been altered after the incident.
As a result, the original inquest verdicts of accidental death were overturned in 2012, leading to fresh inquests that determined the deaths were unlawful and exonerated the fans’ behavior.
Initially, May had believed the authorities’ narrative that the fans were to blame for the tragedy.
However, her perspective changed after engaging with the families of the victims and seeking advice from the Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones, who became her advisor on Hillsborough.
In 2017, Bishop Jones published a report aimed at preventing the recurrence of the pain and suffering endured by the Hillsborough families.
May expressed her support for one of the report’s recommendations, which advocated for the introduction of a public advocate to support victims of disasters.
She anticipated that this recommendation would be implemented by the end of her term, despite acknowledging the slow progress in implementing all the recommendations.
The profound impact of meeting the Hillsborough families inspired Theresa May to write her book, “The Abuse of Power,” reflecting on the experience and the need for justice in such cases.
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| bbc.co.uk |
|---|
| – A senior Tory minister hid in a cupboard to avoid meeting the families of the Hillsborough disaster, according to Theresa May. – Theresa May did not reveal the name of the minister. |
| – May was convinced to pursue the work that led to the original inquest verdicts being overturned after meeting the relatives of the Hillsborough victims. |
| – 97 Liverpool supporters died in the Hillsborough disaster in April 1989. |
| – |
| When May became home secretary in 2010, not all of her ministerial colleagues were willing to meet the grieving families. |
| – May stated that a senior minister hiding in a cupboard exemplified the attitude of some colleagues. – Some colleagues believed that the disaster happened too long ago to revisit, while others thought it occurred under a Conservative government and did not want to open that door. |
| – May recognized that as a Conservative politician, she would have to work harder to gain the trust of the families and survivors, especially in Liverpool where the party had little support. – |
| The families of the victims had been fighting for justice for many years and had faced difficulties trusting anyone in authority. |
| – May had to decide whether to continue the work of the independent panel on Hillsborough, which had been set up by the previous Labour government. – |
| The panel aimed to consider and publish previously undisclosed documents related to the disaster. |
| – May made up her mind to continue the work after meeting with the families of the victims. – |
| The independent panel’s work concluded that no Liverpool fans were responsible for the disaster and revealed that police statements had been altered after the incident. – |
| The original inquest verdicts of accidental death were overturned in 2012, leading to fresh inquests that concluded the deaths were unlawful and exonerated the fans’ behavior. – May initially believed the authorities’ narrative that the fans were to blame for the disaster. |
| – |
| Her views changed after meeting the families of the victims and speaking to Bishop of Liverpool James Jones, who became her advisor on Hillsborough. – |
| The families had been seeking answers for 20 years and May was the only home secretary who truly listened and acted upon their concerns. |
| – In 2017, Bishop Jones published a report aiming to prevent the repetition of the pain and suffering experienced by the Hillsborough families. |
| – May believed that one of the report’s recommendations, the introduction of a public advocate to support victims of disasters, would be implemented by the end of her term. |
| – May acknowledged that progress had been slow in implementing the recommendations. |
| – Meeting the Hillsborough families inspired May to write her book, “The Abuse of Power.” |
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