A Liverpool fan campaigning for a “Hillsborough Law” to ensure victims of disasters do not face “a criminal abuse of power” will pass near Ashfield this afternoon as part of a charity run from Anfield to Grenfell Tower in London. Mik Parkin set off from Anfield, the home of Liverpool FC, on Saturday (13 April). He reached the Hillsborough Memorial at Sheffield United’s ground last night.
Today, on the 35th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster, he set of from the memorial on today’s leg of the run, to Rainworth. Before doing so he paused to reflect and pay tribute to the 97 men, women and children who were killed when poor policing, planning and structures at the ground led to a mass crushing incident at the start of the FA Cup Final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
The subsequent investigation and inquest was marred by corrupt policing, including the doctoring of 116 witness statements to remove negative comments about South Yorkshire Police. The altered statements were detailed in a 2012 report by the Hillsborough Independent Panel, chaired by the former Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Revd James Jones.
“The number one thing we were after is justice and accountability”, Mik Parker told Darryl Morris on Times Radio last night. “We got the truth, but we didn’t get justice and accountability. This Hillsborough Law is the thing that can leave a really positive legacy from something terrible.”
The Hillsborough Law would place a legal “duty of candour” on public bodies after major disasters and tragedies. The law would also ensure that victims and survivors are entitled to improved legal aid to ensure that they are able to get full legal representation during public inquiries.
Some changes have already been brought in, but campaigners argue that the changes do not go far enough. “The government did bring in the duty of candour for the police but that wasn’t reflected in public authorities”, he said.
“What we really want to make sure we get in place is a duty of candour for all public authorities, and something called parity of arms – making sure that when a major disaster happens, when the inquiry is happening the families and victims can get lawyers as good as the public authorities. If we can get those in it will make a real difference to the victims.”
He talked about a “criminal abuse of power” which victims of so many different scandals have faced, including the nuclear test veterans, victims of the Manchester bombings, the Post Office Horizon scandal, infected blood scandal, and the Grenfell Tower fire, which, 82 months on, still has many questions left unanswered and nobody held to account.
The fire at Grenfell Tower, on 14 June 2017, resulted in the deaths of 72 people in what was the deadliest residential fire in the UK since the blitz.
“We don’t know exactly what is going to be happening in the election coming up, but the prospective MPs will be asking the public what they want… This law can make a positive change to the country really, really, quickly if everybody can talk to their MPs and their prospective representatives it would do the country a world of good.”
Mik Parker will conclude today’s leg of his run from Anfield to Grenfell at Rainworth Methodist Church in Southwell Road East after passing through Mansfield on the A617.
He will set off from Rainworth tomorrow morning and head to the World’s End pub in Plough Lane, Lowdham, off the A6097 Epperstone Bypass, for his first pause of the day on his way to Wymondham in Melton Mowbray. On Wednesday, he is due to complete his leg in Burton Latimer, Kettering; and on Thursday at Silsoe in Bedford.
He will conclude Thursday’s leg at the Argos store in St Albans; ahead of the final leg on Friday when he hopes to reach the Cuore Italian Deli and Coffee Shop in Sidmouth Parade, next to Grenfell Tower, at around 1.30 pm.
In addition to raising awareness and support for the Hillsborough Law, Parkin is also aiming to raise funds which will be split between the mental health charity Mind, and the Grenfell Foundation. He set himself a fundraising target of £2,270 – equivalent to £10 for each mile of his journey. At the time of publication, he has surpassed this, having reached £3,010.
- You can donate to the appeal through the Give Wheel online platform.
