Kop chants spurred Burnham to press government for Hillsborough justice
At the 20th anniversary service for the Hillsborough disaster in 2009, then cabinet minister Andy Burnham was booed after saying he brought a message from Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Kop supporters broke into chants demanding justice for the 96, confronting the Labour government’s failure to support calls to uncover the truth. Burnham later said the response helped give him the political courage to press for action.
He urged Brown to back a new investigation, and a Hillsborough Independent Panel was established by the end of 2009 to examine hundreds of thousands of documents. Its 2012 report found serious failings by police and emergency services and revealed a cover-up; David Cameron later apologised, the original inquest verdicts were quashed, and new inquests in 2016 ruled the 96 deaths unlawful killings. Families and supporters described the Kop’s chants as a turning point in the campaign for accountability.
- Kop chants in 2009 pushed Burnham to act on Hillsborough.
- An independent panel examined hundreds of thousands of documents.
- New inquests in 2016 ruled the 96 deaths unlawful killings.
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The Hillsborough disaster occurred at a football stadium in 1989 when 96 people died in a crowd crush. It remains one of Britain's deadliest peacetime disasters, and for many years the families and supporters of those who died were denied clear answers about what happened.
In 2009, at the 20th anniversary memorial service, Liverpool supporters chanted for justice when then cabinet minister Andy Burnham delivered a message from Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The supporters were frustrated because the government had not backed calls to reopen the investigation into the disaster.
The government later commissioned the Hillsborough Independent Panel to examine official documents. Its 2012 report revealed serious failings by police and authorities, as well as evidence of a cover-up. This led to the original verdicts being overturned and new inquests in 2016 that ruled the 96 deaths were unlawful killings.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “How the Kop’s chants propelled Andy Burnham to fight for Hillsborough justice”.