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.
Millions of UK workers to get pay rises from today as National Living and Minimum Wage increases
Emily Sergeant
Millions of workers across the UK are set to begin receiving substantial pay rises from today.
After the Government announced back in November that it would take the recommendations made by the Low Pay Commission, and increase both the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage, those changes have now come into force in a bid to ensure people on lower incomes are ‘properly rewarded’ for their work.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Low Pay Commission, it’s an independent body made up of employers, trade unions, and experts whose role is to advise the Government on the minimum wage.
As mentioned, the rate recommendations introduced today were agreed unanimously by the Commission.
This means that the living wage, for eligible workers who are aged 21 and over, has now risen by 4.1% from today to £12.71 an hour.
For a full-time worker, that means a pay increase of £900 a year.
Millions of workers in the UK are getting pay rises from today / Credit: John Kakuk (via Unsplash) | Pexels
The National Minimum Wage rate for workers aged 18 to 20-year-olds has also increased today by 8.5% to £10.85 an hour, and then for 16 to 17-year-olds, and those on apprenticeships, the rate has increased by 6% to £8 an hour.
“The recommendations we made last autumn sought to balance the need to protect the economy and labour market, whilst providing a real-terms increase for the lowest-paid members of society,” commented Baroness Philippa Stroud, who is Chair of the Low Pay Commission.
“A lot has changed since we gave our advice to the Government last autumn, and we are now beginning to gather evidence for recommendations later this year.
“The current economic uncertainty makes it essential that the Commission hears from those affected by the minimum wage and builds consensus for evidence-based recommendations.
Workers aged 21 and over are now legally entitled to the National Living Wage after the age threshold for the highest rate was lowered from 23 in 2024.
National Minimum Wage rates are available to workers aged 16 upwards.
Featured Image – Israel Andrade (via Unsplash)
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Delays on M60 continue after man dies falling from bridge near Trafford Centre
Daisy Jackson
A man has tragically died after falling from a bridge on the M60, near the Trafford Centre.
Police closed the motorway in both directions at around 10am this morning as they responded to the concern for welfare.
The man was on Barton Bridge on the M60, but tragically fell and passed away at the scene.
The motorway was shut anti-clockwise between junction 12 for the M602 and junction 10, and on the clockwise carriageway between junction 9 and 11, with a huge diversion in place.
Although the motorway has reopened as the afternoon has worn on, disruption is ‘likely’ to continue for several hours yet.
National Highways is reporting up to two miles of congestion on the M60 around Barton Bridge.
In a statement released earlier today, a GMP spokesperson said: “Officers are currently responding to a concern for welfare on Barton Bridge on the M60, reported at around 9:40am today (Tuesday 31 March).
“The M60 remains closed in both directions while emergency services are in attendance. Significant delays are expected and drivers are advised to avoid the area where possible.”
GMP later added: “Earlier today, officers responded to a concern for welfare on Barton Bridge on the M60. The man sadly fell from the bridge and passed away at the scene.
“The road remains closed while enquiries continue. Please avoid the area and plan alternative routes where possible as disruption is likely to continue for the rest of the day.”
Emily Sergeant -
14th April 2022 
