Manchester attack inquiry chairman to meet MI5 over progress
The chairman of the inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing has said he hopes to get "acceptable answers" from MI5 at a meeting to discuss what steps have been taken to prevent further attacks.Sir John Saunders made a range of recommendations to the security service after hearing evidence about the suicide May 2017 attack.On the eighth anniversary of the bombing, Sir John said there needed to be public accountability after MI5 admitted missing a significant chance to take action that might have stopped the bombing.He has now revealed he is due to meet MI5 in June to discuss his recommendations, which were published more than two years ago.
"If I get what I regard as acceptable answers from the security service in June, I'm very happy to go public," said Sir John in his first interview since the inquiry concluded.Twenty-two people were killed and hundreds more injured when Salman Abedi detonated a homemade explosive in the foyer of the arena as crowds left an Ariana Grande concert.The public inquiry, which opened in September 2020 and published its findings in 2023, was set up to explore the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the bombing.
After hearing from 291 witnesses and considering 172,000 pages of evidence, Sir John published three reports into his findings.The final report outlined how the attack might have been prevented if MI5 had acted on key intelligence received in the months beforehand.MI5 chief Ken McCallum previously said he was "profoundly sorry".Who are the victims of the Manchester Arena attack?In July 2023, Sir John raised concerns that progress on some of the recommendations including the provision of emergency care and CCTV operation had been slow.He told BBC North West Tonight the "good news" was that "by and large" steps had been taken.
Sir John also said the evidence during the inquiry had had a profound effect on him."Having been a criminal judge and a criminal lawyer, I've listened to a lot of horrific evidence but the evidence in the Manchester Arena inquiry was incredibly moving," he said."The personal statements by the bereaved were incredibly moving but there were other very moving parts as well."Hard-bitten policemen who had found themselves [at the scene], not knowing what to do to try and stem the bleeding, believing the paramedics were coming any minute now and them not coming."They were still in tears giving evidence about it a number of years later."He said it was important for the bereaved families that the recommendations were "followed up and are carried out"."It would just be awful for them as well as for the rest of us to lose those lessons."
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Show us your BritCard: Minister confirms Government looking at introducing ID app in illegal immigration crackdown
The Government is 'absolutely' looking at the idea of introducing a BritCard ID app as it seeks to tackle illegal immigration. a Cabinet minister confirmed today. Environment Secretary Steve Reed said that ministers 'know we need to look at all the actions we can take' to reduce the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats. The phone app would display a person's right to live, work and rent in the UK on a smartphone. And as well as blocking illegal immigrants from working, supporters say it would also tackle benefit fraud through links to government records. It has already received support from several cabinet ministers, including cabinet office minister Pat McFadden and technology secretary Peter Kyle. And today Mr Reed told Times Radio on Friday morning, Mr Reed said: 'It's absolutely something that we are looking at, and that we should be looking at.' He added: 'We know we need to look at all the actions we can take to stop the levels of illegal migration that we were seeing particularly under the last government. 'We have to stop the number of people that we've seen who don't have a right to come here.' Environment Secretary Steve Reed said that ministers 'know we need to look at all the actions we can take' to reduce the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats. Asked whether he thought digital IDs should be mandatory, Mr Reed told the same station: 'There's a discussion going on and I'm happy to take part in that discussion as well. Advocates think the scheme will send the message that Britain is not 'a soft touch' on illegal migration and will decrease the 'pull' factor, which many European countries blame for the ongoing small boats crisis. Britain remains the only European nation without an ID card system, with Tony Blair 's famous attempt to introduce one collapsing in 2011, after the coalition government pulled the plug on it. It is also hoped the app can tie a number of different services together, including ordering passports, displaying driving licences and national insurance numbers, and offering NHS services. Labour Together, a think tank run by Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, from 2017 to 2020, has collated plans for the card and sent them to Downing Street. They include a requirement to 'show' the ID when renting a property or starting a new job, with the system automatically checking their right to work or rent against government records. Existing documents to check identity can be easily forged, potentially deceiving landlords or prospective employers. A mock up of the app, seen in the plans, shows a screen with an individuals' face and name on it, as well as his right to work and rent statuses, driving licence, and options to share identity or age. The report, published on Friday, urges the Prime Minister to make digital identity a 'top prime ministerial priority' and commence a 'fundamental transformation in the way British citizens interact with the government'. It points to a poll which suggests 80 per cent of the public back the implementation of digital right-to-work credentials, with just under one in three believing it would act as a deterrent against people entering the country illegally. The report said that those who did not want to have a digital ID card on their phone would be allowed to carry a physical one instead. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has placed herself in opposition to some of her colleagues, including many from the 'Red Wall' wave of Labour MPs, with Home Office sources describing her position as 'nuanced'. Sir Keir Starmer has admitted the public has 'every right to be angry' about the issue after more than a thousand migrants made the journey in a single day for the first time this year. Home Office data showed 1,194 migrants arrived in 18 boats on Saturday. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper , pictured in May, has placed herself in opposition to some of her colleagues, including many from the 'Red Wall' wave of Labour MPs But Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described Sir Keir's words as 'rubbish', claiming that even Defence Secretary John Healey had acknowledged ministers had 'lost control' of the borders. Saturday's figures were the first time daily crossings topped a thousand in 2025, and prompted Mr Healey to claim Britain had 'lost control' over the last five years, implicating the former Tory government. Writing on social media site X on Monday, the Prime Minister said: 'You have every right to be angry about small boat crossings. 'I'm angry too. We are ramping up our efforts to smash the people smuggling gangs at source.' He claimed hundreds of boats and engines had been 'seized', raids on illegal working were up, and 'almost 30,000 people' had been returned. But Mrs Badenoch hit back, responding: 'Rubbish! Even the Defence Secretary admits the govt has 'lost control' of our borders.' Small boat arrivals are 'up 95% from this point in 2023', she said, and claimed ministers had 'scrapped the only viable deterrent': the previous Conservative government's Rwanda plan. Sir Keir had earlier insisted the Rwanda plan 'didn't deter anybody', after his decision to scrap it was highlighted while he visited Glasgow for a major defence announcement. He added: 'I'm not up for gimmicks. I'm up for the hard work of working with partners, enhancing the powers that law enforcement have, in my determination to take down the gangs that are running this vile trade.' Saturday's crossings brought the provisional annual total so far of migrants who have made the journey to 14,811. This is 42 per cent higher than the same point last year (10,448) and 95% up from the same point in 2023 (7,610). It is still lower than the highest daily total of 1,305 arrivals since data began in 2018, which was recorded on September 3, 2022.
BBC News
9 minutes ago
- BBC News
Nottingham glass attack on women prompts police appeal
Police have launched an appeal to find two men that attacked two women at a bar in Nottingham city said the men threw pint glasses at the women's faces just before 02:30 BST at Billy Bootleggers, in High Pavement, on 28 of the women, who are aged in their 20s, required hospital treatment, including Police said the attack happened after the men had approached the women's table and attempted to engage them in conversation. The force has released CCTV images in a bid to trace the men involved.
The Sun
11 minutes ago
- The Sun
Shops close down and streets patrolled by cops as thousands of travellers gear up for 2nd day of Appleby Horse Fair
THE historic Appleby Horse Fair has left shops and roads closed as a second day of rowdy celebrations continues. The Gypsy King, Tyson Fury, joined thousands of revellers yesterday for the first day of the fair. 8 8 The celebrations have seen thousands of travellers descend on the town, riding horses through the small streets. Cops have been spotted patrolling the streets and roads have been closed to traffic. Pictures from yesterday's celebrations show horses being ridden in the River Eden as part of a longstanding tradition. Tens of thousands of travellers have arrived in the small town for the event, lining the roads nearby with cars, vans and caravans. Campsites have been set up to accommodate all the visitors, quickly filling with hundreds of caravans. The six day event features traditional music, dancing, horse riding, market stalls and horses for sale. Carts and wagons have been pulled through the town by horses as the busy event continues to unfold. anti-social behaviour at past events. 8 8 8 The roads of the small town and surrounding area have been lined with travellers arriving to join the festivities. Today, as the celebrations continued locals have shut their shops and roads are being patrolled by cops. Signs have been left on doors up and down the busy high street reading " closed" with the whole town effectively shut down. A huge police presence is in the area for the second day in a row with officers on standby ahead of potential chaos and violence. RSPCA officers and Blue Cross volunteers are also present, keeping an eye on the welfare of the horses being exercised, bought and sold. During the 2021 event seven people were arrested. Travellers and their families have been descending on the town for the fair for 340 years. The event falls on the first weekend of June and is recognised as the largest of its kind in Europe. Huge queues have formed along the busy country lanes and town life has ground to a standstill as the fair continues. 8 8 8
