David Conn

MPs approved the long-delayed Hillsborough law, establishing a duty of candour for public officials and expanding legal aid for bereaved families. Andy Burnham and Keir Starmer were highlighted as central to securing the bill’s passage after tensions over a carve-out for intelligence officers were resolved through a compromise allowing inquiry chairs to review national security objections without permitting evidence to be withheld. Campaigners welcomed the reforms as a structural shift in how the state treats bereaved families and a safeguard against future cover-ups.

Bereaved families welcomed the Covid inquiry’s findings that the UK government catastrophically failed to prepare for the pandemic, leaving health and care workers without adequate PPE and wasting billions through chaotic procurement. The report confirmed severe stockpile shortages, widespread operational failings and significant waste, while rejecting claims that the ‘VIP lane’ for PPE contracts constituted intentional corruption. Families argued the system nonetheless advantaged those with political connections and contributed to loss of life. Campaigners reiterated calls for accountability and for lessons to be implemented to prevent similar failures in future crises.