Government 'asking for a bit of patience' when implementing a Hillsborough Law
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Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
'Keir Starmer has met his match in Liverpool - and his own goals are costing Labour the football vote'
New data shows football supporters at nationwide would rather vote Reform than back Labour. Fleet Street Fox argues Keir Starmer's betrayal of the Hillsborough Law shows how good he is at own goals There's something about a blend of football and politics that makes for a heady brew. Perhaps it's the tribalism, the down-to-the-wire elections, or the hope that, this time, your lot might finally be able to deliver. And, of course, the chance to shout at the telly for ignoring a BLATANT foul. Maybe it's just that both are run by men in suits who play with the happiness of millions, but more often than not leave you with an alleged meat pie and a deep sense of betrayal, while twatting around in a helicopter at our expense. But walk into any match day boozer on a Saturday afternoon and you'll hear the real state of the nation, filtered through lager, community and the honesty of people who know exactly whose side they're on. Their debate is a full-blooded tackle, studs up and sod the VAR. That is perhaps why Prime Ministers don't ever go there, and my but it shows. For if he had ever set an Islington brogue into a pub within spitting distance of Anfield or Goodison Park, he would know the depth of fury that would greet his failure to implement the Hillsborough Law he has promised half a dozen times, and hummed and hawed about since missing his own transfer-it-to-statute deadline of April. This, for those who don't know, is a bill that would make it a crime for a public official to lie. Not just when a mistake leads to the witness box, but when writing the first report, when briefing a superior or the media. It would have protected young police constables who were ordered to rewrite their pocket books after official negligence caused a deathly crush among Liverpool fans at Hillsborough Stadium in 1989. It would have meant that 97 grieving families wouldn't have had to fight for 20 years for the right inquest verdict. It would protect every little guy in the country, and make all the pompous fat cats keep their noses clean. Scousers - even the ones who support the blue team - have been solid Labour for a century. They've been on the raw end of entitlement and London dismissiveness for too long to ever vote any other way, and their ballot papers are traditionally weighed rather than counted. But when the PM didn't institute the Hillsborough Law "on day one" as he promised, when he missed the April 15 anniversary, and now as grumbles spread across Merseyside that it may never appear at all as a result of tinkering by civil servants who don't fancy being subject to it - they're snubbing Labour like it's just turned up in a Man Utd shirt and a bucket hat. A survey by More In Common has found that Liverpool has the lowest proportion of football supporters of any club in the country who'd back Starmer, at just 27%. Even that seems optimistic, when you consider the Runcorn by-election three months ago had a decent 46% turnout and Reform still pinched the seat by just 6 votes. Today you don't need scales, but instead a microscope to count the majority. Starmer has ducked and weaved, tried to placate the bureaucrat linesmen, and spent too much time dancing down the right wing. Despite having a team of 398 MPs, he has feigned a limp, tripped over his laces, and consistently failed to put the ball in the back of the net. It's just not what you expect from someone who holds the premiership, Gary. And it's not just the north west that feels let down. The survey shows the mood has turned sour on every terrace, with Reform top on the transfer list for fans of Premier League and lower league clubs, and even non-football fans. Football fans have long memories, and know when they're being fobbed off by a crap manager and a lack of investment. Hillsborough has deeper meaning in Liverpool and Sheffield, but its protections would resonate nationwide. Wages are stagnant, the NHS is in need of intensive care, and the waiting list for a dentist is worse than the queue for a Wembley final. On immigration, Starmer has failed to crow about the victories he's had in bringing down some big name people smugglers, but even that has not stemmed the flow of huddled masses trying to be somewhere, anywhere, other than Afghnistan, Syria or Iran. Into the void strides Nigel Farage, a yellow-trousered golf club bore who has never worked well in a team and wouldn't set foot in a stadium unless there was a camera crew and a spotlight involved. Even then he'd station himself in a VIP suite, not the terraces. Imagine him, stood baa-ing about how awful the team is: a cup of something warm and wet might be thrown, but eventually, people would just decide to steer clear. That's what's happening on Merseyside, where the disillusionment will never be enough to make them vote Tory but has already persuaded thousands to stay at home. It's underway too in Manchester, Newcastle, London, at the Sunday morning municipal pitches and the after-school clubs: Labour is a dirty word where just a year ago it was the best hope. People are tired of politicians who only turn up to wave a scarf once every 5 years. They're fed up of soft-handed tossers putting up prices and neglecting the foundations, people who talk a good game but never actually play one. They want a government, and a team, they can be proud of. Starmer promised all that when he took over, but he's ignoring the commentary since, and there's no analysis of what's going wrong in Liverpool. When he turns up there next month for conference, the odds are he'll be taking an early bath every night to avoid the people who aren't his fans any more. If Labour has lost Liverpool, and a football-playing PM has lost the terraces, then it's the biggest own goal of all time. In football, as in politics, you can't hope to win if you forget who you're playing for.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
'VJ Day is stark reminder of the immense cost we face for securing peace'
Today marks the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, which saw the Second World War come to an end - and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy explains why this anniversary is so poignant Eighty years ago today, the world finally saw an end to the nightmare of the Second World War, with Japan's surrender bringing six long, brutal years of global conflict to a close. Today, we mark eight decades on with a special ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum, joined by around 30 remarkable veterans who served in the Far East all those years ago. Of the millions of brave men who served in the Second World War, only a precious few are still with us. That's what makes this 80th anniversary so poignant—and so vital. We owe it to our extraordinary veterans, and to ourselves, to ensure their sacrifice is never forgotten. READ MORE: Prince William and Kate Middleton issue statement after King's address to nation Like many of my generation, I grew up listening to first-hand accounts from those who served in the Second World War, including members of my own family. The stories of their service and sacrifice have stayed with me long into adult life. But the next generation rarely gets the chance to hear these stories directly from those who lived them. That's why today matters so much. We must use this moment to share these accounts and keep the memory of that remarkable generation alive. VJ Day 80 isn't just about honouring those who fought and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. It's also a stark reminder of the immense cost of securing peace. VJ Day reminds us of the importance of never repeating the horrors of 1945: learning from the past, embracing democracy, and working with other nations. In our increasingly divided world, these lessons are more important than ever. The veterans we celebrate today understood that freedom and democracy cannot be taken for granted. They stood up to tyranny with incredible courage. Some survived unthinkable conditions in prisoner-of-war camps, many witnessing horrors that would stay with them forever—all so we could live in freedom. When we observe our two-minute silence today and watch the Red Arrows soar overhead, let's remember that peace means more than just the end of conflict. It's about guaranteeing that everyone can enjoy justice, freedom, and hope. The generation we honour today gave us these precious gifts through their service and sacrifice. So let's remember them, thank them, and carry their legacy forward—not just in words, but in the values we live by.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- The Guardian
NGOs urge Nandy to halt sale of Telegraph over China links
A group of nine human rights and freedom of expression organisations have called on the culture secretary to halt RedBird Capital's proposed £500m takeover of the Telegraph and investigate the US private equity company's ties to China. The international non-governmental organisations, which include Index on Censorship, Reporters Without Borders and Article 19, have written to Lisa Nandy arguing that RedBird Capital's links with China 'threaten media pluralism, transparency and information integrity in the UK'. A consortium led by RedBird Capital agreed a deal in May to buy the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, ending two years of uncertainty over the future of the titles. The organisations said that RedBird Capital's chair, John Thornton, sits on the advisory council of the China Investment Corporation, the country's largest sovereign wealth fund. Thornton, a former chair of Goldman Sachs Asia, has also previously chaired the Silk Road Finance Corporation. 'Both [are] vehicles through which China has pursued financial influence,' the letter said. The signatories, who also include Hong Kong Watch, Human Rights in China and the Hong Kong Democracy Council, said Nandy should follow her predecessor, Lucy Frazer, who issued a public interest intervention notice (PIIN) in January last year. RedBird Capital, which contributed 25% of the funding to the RedBird IMI joint venture that controls the Telegraph, is in the process of buying out its partner, IMI. IMI, which may retain a stake of up to 15% in the Telegraph under RedBird Capital's plan, is controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, vice-president of the United Arab Emirates. The letter to Nandy states: 'We believe that there is reasonable grounds to suspect the Telegraph acquisition by RedBird Capital raises both public interest and potential foreign media influence concerns. We call on you to issue relevant notices to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Ofcom.' The signatories also said the culture department should ensure that the investigations carried out by the CMA and Ofcom, the communications regulator, involve independent consultation with 'experts in Chinese foreign information manipulation and influence operations, as well as experts in media pluralism, transparency, and freedom of expression'. Separately, the former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith and the independent peer David Alton have written to Nandy asking her to investigate reports of a £5.3m editorial budget cut. The politicians claim that the cuts, revealed by the former Telegraph journalist Fraser Nelson, represent a change to the paper's structure that is not allowed during a takeover process. They argued that the government's 2024 public interest merger reference pending approval of a takeover prohibits changes to the editorial structure and staff of the Telegraph. A spokesperson for the newspaper group, said: 'Ongoing management and oversight of Telegraph Media Group and its operations require the board and chief executive to liaise with all relevant stakeholders, including RedBird Capital, in line with agreed governance protocols. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion 'The board and chief executive will continue to fulfil their fiduciary duties and facilitate an anticipated transaction, consistent with the requirements of relevant government legislation.' In June, a cross-party group of MPs and peers, including Duncan Smith and Lord Alton, called on ministers to investigate how RedBird Capital is funding its £500m takeover. A spokesperson for RedBird said: 'There is no Chinese involvement or influence in RedBird Capital's proposed acquisition of the Telegraph.' They added that the company had 'been clear on its position regarding press independence, which is a fundamental tenet of its investment thesis in owning and growing news businesses – whether it's CBS News in the US or the Telegraph in the UK'. The spokesperson said that, after more than two years in 'regulatory limbo', it was now time for the takeover to be completed and to 'finally position the Telegraph for growth'. 'The partnership with RedBird will enable the Telegraph's world-class group of editors and reporters to thrive in this transformative moment for news organisations globally.' Last month, the sale of the Telegraph came a step closer after government legislation to allow foreign states to own up to 15% in British newspapers survived a potentially fatal vote in the House of Lords. RedBird Capital – which is also potentially aiming to bring in investors including the parent company of the Daily Mail and Len Blavatnik, the owner of Warner Music – has also said it can fully fund a deal in its own right. The government declined to comment.
