Relatives of those killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing have written directly to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, demanding that the security service MI5 is not exempt from a proposed new law designed to compel public officials to tell the truth.
The Call for a Full Duty of Candour
The families are pushing for MI5 to be fully included in the Public Office Accountability Bill, commonly known as the Hillsborough Law. This legislation, currently progressing through Parliament, aims to prevent cover-ups by imposing a legal duty of candour on public authorities and officials during investigations and inquiries.
Their intervention follows the damning findings of the public inquiry into the atrocity, which concluded that MI5 did not provide an "accurate picture" of crucial intelligence it held on suicide bomber Salman Abedi prior to the attack on 22 May 2017.
Broken Trust and a 'Buried' Clause
In their letter, the bereaved families pose a stark question to the Prime Minister: "How many times must MI5 show that it cannot be trusted before something is done?" They argue that MI5 failed twice: first by not preventing the attack that killed 22 people and injured hundreds, and second by lacking honesty afterwards.
Barrister Pete Weatherby KC, who represents both Hillsborough and Manchester Arena families, revealed that campaigners had agreed with the government on how the law would apply to intelligence officers. However, he alleges the government later inserted a "buried" clause into the draft bill that would undermine its effectiveness for agencies like MI5, MI6, and GCHQ.
Families Seek Justice and Future Safety
The letter is signed by the families of Liam Curry, 19, Chloe Rutherford, 17, Megan Hurley, 15, Eilidh MacLeod, 14, and Kelly Brewster, 32. They remind Sir Keir of his personal promise to enact the law and urge him to ensure it applies equally to the security and intelligence services.
Claire Booth, sister of victim Kelly Brewster, who survived the attack but whose daughter was severely injured, described MI5's post-attack conduct as "infuriating." She felt treated like "collateral damage," stating that the agency's lack of truthfulness "adds insult to injury."
Mr Weatherby warned that without this legal compulsion to be truthful, MI5 could continue to advance false narratives to protect itself, meaning past failures could be repeated. The government has stated it is "listening to feedback about how to strengthen [the law] whilst also protecting national security."
