Birmingham pub bombings: MPs demand action 'now' over calls for an inquiry
Byrne said the innocent Birmingham Six served 16 years in prison q before their 1991 release, adding: "To this day, not one person has been brought to justice."He criticised the 2019 inquest and said the question of who bombed Birmingham was ruled out of scope, adding that witnesses admitted they knew who was responsible but no-one had been compelled to testify.While the IRA never officially admitted responsibility, it is widely believed to have been behind the attacks.The 2019 inquest ruled the victims were unlawfully killed by the IRA but did not determine the identities of those responsible.
Paulette Hamilton, Erdington Labour MP, called for "an independent public inquiry that includes the effective participation of the relatives as a matter of urgency".Northfield Labour MP Laurence Turner raised concerns that, after 51 years, memories were facing, documents were at risk of destruction and the chance of holding those responsible to account was fading.He said: "We may not be out of time, but time is running out."Byrne replied: "That is why it is time to act now."
Jarvis confirmed the recent Legacy Act did not prevent a public inquiry but he said the bombings were eligible for investigation by the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), set up by the act."I have full confidence that the commission and its team of dedicated staff have the sufficient powers, resources and expertise to support the families," he said.
Julie Hambleton, who set up the Justice for the 21 families' campaign, said the inquest "left more questions than it provided answers" and its scope had made truth and justice "impossible".Ms Hambleton, who lost her sister Maxine, said a judge-led public inquiry could compel witnesses to give evidence.She added: "It will give us access to documents that, for the past 50 years, we've been told do not exist, and we know for a fact that they do."A statutory public inquiry is a formal investigation which has specific legal powers, including the power to require witnesses to attend and to disclose information related to the inquiry's work. It can be led by a judge.
In June, the legal firm KRW Law, representing the families, served pre-action correspondence on the Home Office, setting out the need for an inquiry.Associate solicitor Barry O Donnell said the only legal process that could deal with the issues was an inquiry, adding: "Any attempt to shoehorn the families into a third-rate justice recovery process within ICRIR will not be tolerated."
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This was all set up essentially to be uncovered,' the defence expert told MailOnline. 'It's a warning to policy-makers implying we can strike hard back in the UK... and it is one to show Russia isn't afraid of hitting back.' Earlier this week, Jakeem Rose, 23, Ugnius Asmena, 20, and Nii Mensah, 23, were found guilty at the Old Bailey of aggravated arson with intent to endanger life after the inferno at units 1 and 2 of the Cromwell Industrial Estate in east London. The attack was orchestrated by 'ringleader' Dylan Earl, 20, and his second in command, Jake Reeves, 23, who had already admitted aggravated arson on behalf of the Wagner Group. Wagner is infamous for its heavy involvement in the invasion of Ukraine as well as carrying out military campaigns on behalf of Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin in Mali, the Middle East and South America. The paramilitary cult's ranks allegedly include convicted murderers, rapists and gangsters - as well as ex-military personnel. 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They were convicted on Tuesday The group were hired by Wagner to carry out the attacks. Pictured is Yevgeny Prigozhin, former head of the mercenary group, at the ruins of Ukrainian Bakhmut, in May 2023 Earl, a bungling part-time drug dealer was recruited into the ruthless cartel of mercenaries after approaching the group over Telegram. The 20-year-old, who boasted of being 'the best spy you have ever seen', was enthralled by the prospect of giving up his life living at home with his parents. From his bedroom in the tiny village of Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire, the Putin fan who could barely speak 30 words of Russian, managed to assemble a motley crew of Britons to torch the London warehouse causing £1million of damage, destroying generators and vital Starlink satellite equipment destined for Ukraine. The young builder and cocaine dealer was given the codename of 'SAS' and billed as Wagner's 'dagger in Europe' after Earl told the terror group of his grand plans to do 'something big' for the Kremlin, boasting he could build a 'link' between the Wagner Group, IRA and notorious Kinahan crime cartel. But the hapless arsonists Earl hired, who ranged from criminals to a cleaner, did such a bad job on March 20 last year that the Russians refused to pay them, saying the arson attack was not up to Wagner's 'standards'. His henchmen, Mensah, 23, Rose, 23, and Asmena, 20, failed to properly capture a full video of the burning warehouse after fleeing in a Kia Picanto which had to be 'bump started' with a set of pliers to turn the ignition key. They were forced to return to the scene just to livestream it for the Russians, which resulted in the gang being captured on CCTV and Rose also dropped a knife with his DNA on it before fire crews arrived to bring the blaze under control. But in a chilling illustration of Russia's appetite for inflicting chaos in the UK, despite the attack not matching Earl's lofty promises, Wagner operatives were prepared to send him on an even bigger mission to kidnap billionaire Russian dissident Evgeny Chichvarkin. When police swooped last April, Earl was preparing to firebomb his Mayfair restaurant and wine shop worth £30million. Commander Dominic Murphy, the head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command said the astonishing case showed how Russia was prepared to buy criminal proxies to carry out their dirty work in the UK. Earl was the first person to be convicted under the new National Security Act last year after police uncovered messages revealing how the drug dealer, who kept a Russian flag in his room, contacted a Telegram channel known as a mouthpiece for Wagner. His second in command, Jake Reeves, also pleaded guilty to agreeing to accept a material benefit from a foreign intelligence service under the National Security Act 2023. And on Tuesday, Mensah, Rose, and Asmena were all convicted by a jury for their part in the firebombing. All five men now face prison. Commander Murphy slammed the group for joining a Wagner plot. He aid 'the ringleaders - Earl and Reeves - willingly acted as hostile agents on behalf of the Russian state'. 'Those involved showed little or no regard for the potential impact of their actions on the UK's wider security. Seemingly motivated by the promise of money, they were prepared to commit criminal acts on behalf of Russia.' he added. The Government insists the National Security Act 2023 is making the UK an even harder target for 'hostile states' like Russia to target. It includes a new set of offences, measures and investigatory powers, which are used to clampdown. In April, Security Minister Dan Jarvis announced Russia would be placed on the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, meaning anyone working for the Russian state in the UK will need to declare what they are doing or risk committing an offence under the National Security Act 2023. Speaking after the sentencing of Earl's group of mercenaries, Mr Jarvis added: 'Another proxy group acting for Russia has been brought to justice, thanks to the work of our criminal justice system. 'National security is the foundation of our Plan for Change, and these convictions should serve as a clear warning to those seeking to undermine our national security or the safety of the UK.
