Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram have written a letter to MPs urging them to back the proposed ‘Hillsborough Law’.
The letter has been written on the eve of the disaster’s 33rd anniversary.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Mayor first joined forces at the start of 2022 to back the proposed ‘Hillsborough Law’ that calls for a “fundamental reform” and seeks to support the families of the 97 Liverpool fans who lost their lives in the tragic event on the Leppings Lane terrace at the Sheffield stadium on 15 April 1989.
The pair have now renewed their calls for fairer treatment for those bereaved in their letter to 650 MPs, and are calling for changes to the justice system to prevent others going through the same “unnecessary trauma” endured by Hillsborough families.
Mr Burnham now says it’s time to “level up the scales of justice”.
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⚖️ HILLSBOROUGH LAW ⚖️
"The scales of justice are weighed against ordinary families…"
Steve and @AndyBurnhamGM have written to every MP asking them to: 1⃣ Support the principle of a Hillsborough Law 2⃣ Support its inclusion in the forthcoming Queen's Speech pic.twitter.com/BYjeTgju5z
— Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region (@LCRMayor) April 14, 2022
The Hillsborough Law was first brought to Parliament by Andy Burnham himself back in 2017 when he was an MP, and proposes a number of measures be introduced – including giving bereaved families better access to money for legal representation at inquests, and forcing public authorities to tell the truth during legal proceedings.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester said a change in the law is urgently needed to stop “a pattern” of a lack of candour “repeating itself”.
Now, in this latest letter to MPs, Mr Burnham and Mr Rotheram said the “story of Hillsborough goes well beyond football rivalries or party politics”, and said it’s “a story of immense loss, decades-long cover-up and the comprehensive failure of the British legal system to deliver truth, justice and accountability for bereaved families.
Hillsborough is NOT an exception.
There are echoes of it in ongoing inquiries, such as Grenfell and Manchester Arena.
On the eve of the 33rd anniversary, please support our call for a #HillsboroughLawNow.
The pair also drew similarities and pointed to failings in other recent tragic events too, explaining that: “For families bereaved by more recent events, such as Grenfell and the Manchester Arena attack, the parallels between their experiences and those of the Hillsborough families are already clear.
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“The reason why this pattern keeps on repeating is simple.
“The scales of justice are weighed against ordinary families and in favour of public authorities who hold all the power.”
The mayors urged MPs to make a personal commitment to the principle of a comprehensive Hillsborough Law, and they’re now calling on the government to commit to introducing it in next Queen’s Speech.
Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.
Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.
And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.
Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.
BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.
Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned.
To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.
Featured Image – Sandro Halank (via Wikimedia Commons)
News
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has claimed he wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on fans getting to drink alcohol in football stands.
It’s a ban that’s been in place in the top five tiers of men’s football since 1985, when fears over violence and hooliganism were at their height, but now the Prime Minister has raised the question of whether drinking in football stands – or ‘drinking in sight / view of the pitch’, as it’s known formally – is actually unjust, due to the fact that same rules don’t apply to fans of other sports.
“I don’t think it’s fair for football fans to be singled out in that way,” Andy Burnham has declared this week, grabbing headlines in the process.
He continued: “I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different, and I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination.
“I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine. I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently.”
The Prime Minister’s comments have been met with mixed response.
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands / Credit: James Kirkup | Julia Nastogadka (via Unsplash)
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), for example, has very much welcomed the idea, saying that it ‘totally agrees’ the legislation is ‘outdated’ and ‘deserves to be reviewed’.
Tom Greatrex, chair of the FSA, said in a statement: “The FSA has always argued that it’s unfair to criminalise football fans for having a pint while watching the match – especially since you can sit in the same seat drinking alcohol whilst watching an Oasis gig or rugby league.”
However, on the flip side, the UK Football Policing Unit said it would be ‘incredibly rash’ to change the rules without proper consultation.
“Other sports simply don’t see the violence and criminal behaviour from their supporters that football does, albeit a minority, with alcohol often playing a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour,” it said in a statement on the matter.
The Prime Minister did state in his initial proposition though that ‘there are different ways it could be done’, hinting that it could be done ‘on a trial basis’ perhaps.
The English Football League (EFL) added that it would be ‘receptive to discussions around reviewing current legislation and permitting alcoholic drinks within view of the pitch’.
No formal details on a review have been confirmed as of yet, so fans are encouraged to stay tuned for updates in due course.
Emily Sergeant -
14th April 2022 
