A CROSS-party campaign to make the Hillsborough disaster ‘a moment of change’ has been launched.

Labour has proposed a major package of reforms today, Wednesday, to the policing and criminal justice system in the wake of the recent unlawful killing inquest verdict to rebalance the system in favour of ordinary families.

It includes radical plans to give bereaved families parity of funding for legal representation.

The 1989 disaster saw 96 Liverpool fans crushed to death at an FA Cup semi-final in Sheffield, including 18-year-old Carl Brown from Leigh.

Shadow home secretary and Leigh MP Andy Burnham, who campaigned for the new inquest, is today writing to the home affairs spokesmen of all major Westminster parties, including the home secretary, to ask for their support for the reforms.

The package of amendments calls for:

  • A legal right for bereaved families to receive equal funding for legal representation as the police at inquests where the police are involved.
  • No time limit on the period after leaving the force that a retired officer can be investigated for misconduct. This power would apply retrospectively and could lead to sanctions such as pensions being cut for currently retired officers.
  • A requirement for the government to proceed with an inquiry into relations between the police and press, as requested by Lord Leveson.
  • In the meantime, a ban on ‘unattributable briefings’ to the media by police in respect of incidents under investigation. Where the corporate line of a force is being represented it should be by a named individual. The home secretary must ask each police force to publish a code of practice governing interactions with the media.
  • Secure the independence of the current Independent Police Complaints Commission by preventing the hiring of former police staff to the body’s executive – give the IPCC power to direct findings and sanctions following investigations into officers and forces.
  • Codify the common law offence of misconduct in public office and to make it a criminal offence.

Labour will table the amendments to the Policing and Crime Bill, which returns to the House of Commons next month.

The move comes as Margaret Aspinall, chairman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, prepares to address Parliament today on her personal experience of the police and the criminal justice system over the last 27 years.

Mr Burnham said: “The 27-year struggle of the Hillsborough families exposes just how the odds are often stacked against ordinary families in their quest for truth about the loss of loved ones, with too much power in the hands of the authorities.

“Hillsborough must mark a moment of real change, when Parliament resolves to rebalance the police and criminal justice system and put more power in the hands of ordinary people to get justice.

“Never again should any bereaved families have to fight like the Hillsborough families have had to fight.

“I am seeking to build on the cross-party spirit that led to the Hillsborough verdict to make major changes to how our policing and criminal justice system works.

“I am reaching out across party political lines and calling on MPs on all sides to make Hillsborough a watershed moment for justice in Britain.

“We must call time on the uneven playing field at inquests where public bodies spend public money like water on hiring the best lawyers when ordinary families have to scratch around for whatever they can get.

"Public money should be spent on helping us get to the truth, not on protecting the public sector.

“There should be an end to the scandal where police officers can retire on full pensions and, by so doing, evade misconduct proceedings.

"There should be no time limit on police officers who have done wrong being held to account, and this change should be applied retrospectively.

"Those found to have acted wrongly should face reductions in their pensions and be forced to repay any compensation payments they may have received.

“We need to consider new rules to stop unattributable briefings by the police to the press. If the information being provided is the official view of the force then they should be prepared to stand by it.

“After the Hillsborough verdict Parliament has an unprecedented moment where it can act to rebalance the country in favour of ordinary families."