Hillsborough campaigners fight for justice

 Hillsborough campaigners  are demanding the truth about the disaster and want no stone left unturned in their search for justice.

Pressure continues to grow on both the Government and News International after MPs backed the victims and families of the disaster.

A motion which calls for all documents regarding the disaster to handed to the independent panel previously set up by Labour Government to review the papers for public release was passed unopposed in the House of Commons.

Home Secretary Theresa May told the chamber: “I will do everything in my power to ensure the families and the public get the truth.”

However,  the Hillsborough campaigners are demanding the truth about what lead to 96 people losing their lives want to ensure that no stone is left unturned during the investigation.

“Misdirection, obfuscation and damn lies were all used as smokescreens to deflect attention away from the guilty,” said Liverpool Walton MP Steve Rotheram.

“Institutional complacency and gross negligence, coupled with an establishment cover-up, have added to the sense that this was an orchestrated campaign to shift blame from those really responsible on to the shoulders of Liverpool fans.”

Rotheram talked angrily and emotively regarding claims Liverpool fans had turned up late, without tickets and were drinking heavily.

He said  Minister Margaret Thatcher’s press secretary, Bernard Ingham, had made  many “outrageous” claims about alcohol.

“In his words, Hillsborough wouldn’t have happened ‘If a mob, clearly tanked up, had not tried to force their way in’.”

Rotheram also more predictably tore into The Sun over the now infamous ‘The Truth’ headline and story which involved despicable allegations regarding the behaviour and conduct of Liverpool fans during the FA Cup semi-final which ended in disaster.  

“This was one of the cruellest blows,” he added, branding the paper’s then editor Kelvin MacKenzie a “pariah”.

Labour frontbencher Andy Burnham welcomed Mrs May’s commitment to “full disclosure”.

He said the tragedy was one of the “biggest injustices of the 20th century” and acknowledged he had his own “private disappointments” that more was not done by Labour in office.

Mr Burnham also backed the long awaited call for News International to reveal the sources of The Sun’s story.

During the emotional debate, Rotheram received messages of support from both Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish and Jamie Carragher. 

Liverpool-born QPR midfielder Joey Barton and Everton’s  Tim Cahill also backed the campaign with postings on social networking website, Twitter.

“Football fans united behind a just cause, the game, the nation should be very proud of football fans,” wrote Barton.

Cahill added: “Blue or Red the city of Liverpool unite when it counts always.”

Martyn Edwards