Seventeen years ago a younger Andy Burnham – then minister for culture, media and sport – joined thousands of people packed into Anfield to mark the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.
While making his pre-prepared speech to the crowds on the Kop he was interrupted by a man shouting ‘Justice!’, then the chanting spread as they started singing ‘Justice for the 96’ (this was before Andrew Devine passed away in 2021). Watch the emotional video…
@lfconline Andy Burnham listened and acted. Watch his speech from the Hillsborough 20th anniversary Memorial Service at Anfield. Justice for the 97 now. #Lfc #liverpoolfc #liverpool #ynwa #andyburnham ♬ original sound – LFC Online | Liverpool Clips
Burnham stopped, looked up and nodded. He realised the struggle the families had been forced to endure for years and from that day forward he was determined to fight for that justice for the Hillsborough families.
“My journey to this stage today began in earnest at Anfield in April 2009,” said the new Labour leader and incoming prime minister during Friday’s conference.
“The Kop made me confront the fact that this country does not work for working-class communities like the city of my birth.
“In fact, it’s worse. It turned its back on them. Political power was used viciously against them to protect vested interests.
“Economic power cruelly stripped with the deindustrialisation of the 1980s, as it was against so many places up and down the land.”
Sir Keir Starmer was determined to push through the Hillsborough Law before he left office and managed to do that on Monday night.
Thank you to Andy, Keir, Steve Rotheram, Derek Twigg and everybody else who has helped get this bill passed.
