Hillsborough disaster: David Cameron apologises for 'double injustice'

[Blue_Tires]

David Cameron said he was "profoundly sorry" for the failures that caused the Hillsborough disaster and the subsequent attempts to shift blame for the tragedy on to supporters after the publication of a damning report on the events 23 years ago that left 96 dead.

Speaking in the Commons on Wednesday, the prime minister said the findings in the report were "deeply distressing". He said: "With the weight of the new evidence in the report it's right for me today as prime minister to make a proper apology to the families of the 96 … On behalf of the government, and indeed of our country, I am profoundly sorry that this double injustice has been left uncorrected for so long."

The report by the Hillsborough independent panel, established three years ago and chaired by the bishop of Liverpool, James Jones, found that there was a failure of authorities to protect people and an attempt to blame fans.

The panel concluded that the main cause of the Hillsborough disaster was a "failure in police control" but also revealed "multiple failures" within other organisations that compromised crowd safety. It underlined the "clear operational failure" that led to the disaster and the attempts by South Yorkshire police (SYP) and the ambulance service to cover up their shortcomings. The fact that the ambulance service also altered statements from staff is revealed for the first time. The evidence shows "conclusively" that Liverpool fans "neither caused nor contributed to the deaths" and shows the extent to which attempts, endorsed by the South Yorkshire chief constable Peter Wright, were made to smear them.

Documents released to the panel show how high-ranking police sources, the South Yorkshire Police Federation and the Tory MP Irvine Patnick were responsible for feeding the stories to Whites News Agency in Yorkshire.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/sep/12/hillsborough-disaster-david-cameron-apologises

[T_i_B]

1. Ah, Irvine Patnick

Last edited Thu Sep 13, 2012, 06:18 AM - Edit history (1)

I grew up in Sheffield Hallam, and as such Patnick was my MP during my formative years.

My (VERY right-wing) parents had dealings with him as a constituency MP and rated him highly. However, looking at his record as an MP it's difficult to concur.

Conservatism in Sheffield died in Patnick's time as an MP, he was one of the last Sheffield Tories to be booted out. He lost Hallam to the Lib Dems with an 18% swing against him. I think that might have been the biggest anti-tory swing of any constituency that election (and that took some doing even in 1997 when the Tories were decimated).

For some time now there have been no elected officials at any level from the Conservative Party in Sheffield. During Patnick's time they only ever seemed to campaign in the very poshest areas of the constituency, and these days the most you ever see of Sheffield Tories is anonymous bile on Sheffield Forum.

Patnick was not exactly sympathetic to people suffering due to Thatcher's economic polices. Given how badly a northern manufacturing town like Sheffield was affected that was an incredibly bad attitude to take. It should have served as a warning to the current Sheffield Hallam MP, Nick Clegg but sadly he's currently repeating many of the same mistakes made by Irvine Patnick.

Patnick was a government whip during John Major's government when the Tory Party was tearing itself apart over Europe. I remember him mainly as a loyal party man, although right now all anybody is noticing about him on Twitter is his support of Apartheid, the death penalty and opposition to gay rights. He was knighted in 1994 and a Labour MP (John Mann) has already written to the prime minister requesting that he be stripped of his knighthood over his porkies regarding the Hillsborough.

Apparently the press are outside his house right now waiting for an apology that may or may not be forthcoming. Even that scumbag Kelvin Mackenzie has offered an insincere apology, trying to pass the buck onto Patnick.

[Rambis]

2. Truth step one

Justice? The extent of the cover up is shocking! We all knew they lied about everything. What we didn't know until today is that if the deceased tested negative for alcohol the police went searching their database. They searched for past criminal activity as ammunition to further slander the dead? I have no words!

[T_i_B]

6. In further news....

Irvine Patnick died yesterday. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20872924

[Blue_Tires]

4. Thanks for the insights

I didn't know all that about Patnick...

[T_i_B]

5. I've learned a few things on this subject this week

Didn't know before this week that Irvine Patnick was staunch supporter of Apartheid.

Also didn't realize that the man who thrashed him in 1997, Richard Allen was made a life peer in 2010 as a reward for standing down as MP to make way for Nick Clegg. (Always thought there was something very whiffy about the way a very good young MP stepped aside for an unbelievably ambitious MEP, who wasted know time in backstabbing his way to the party leadership)

It's very odd how often I have to step into internet debates to explain the politics of Sheffield Hallam these days. Usually it's to point out that however useless Clegg is, he has a very large majority and as such he's very unlikely to lose his seat in the next general election.

Strange to think that Sheffield Hallam was a safe Tory seat before Patnick came along.

[usaboynow]

3. Spam deleted by Paulie (MIR Team)