The Hillsborough Petition Is A Con: Just Look At Student Fees
WILL the causes of the Hillsborough disaster be debated in Parliament? Will the Cabinet papers into the tragedy that saw 96 Liverpool fans die at at the FA cup semi-final tie against Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday ground on 15 April, 1989, be aired?
The online petition calling for the Cabinet papers to be released has reached 100,000 signatures – “enough for a Commons debate to be considered”.
Considered is all.
Politicians love to play the consensus game. They invite us to join them in the big debate. Did you debate student fees? Did you debate war in Libya? Did you debate buying into Lloyds TSB? Did you debate joining the EU? Well, you did… a bit. You voted in the election. But the political parties are so similar that the debate is skewed. And when you did vote on a firm decision – such as Nick Clegg’s vow that a vote for the LibDems would be a vote against an increase in tuition fees – the men you voted went back on their word.
As the BBC says:
The rule is that E-petitions with 100,000 signatures must be considered for debate.
Considered. Even the rule contains a massive caveat.
A Cabinet Office spokesman offers a response:
“The e-petition has now reached 100,000 signatures and the government will notify the Backbench Business Committee in the House of Commons in order that the committee can consider its suitability for debate when Parliament returns in September. The e-petition will remain live, and people will be able to continue adding their signatures. The government will respond to those who have signed the e-petition in due course.”
A spokesman for the Hillsborough Independent Panel adds:
“Following recent media coverage of the Cabinet Office’s decision to appeal the release of Cabinet Office papers concerning the Hillsborough disaster, the Hillsborough Independent Panel affirms its independence of government in carrying out its research, publishing an analytical report and establishing a comprehensive public archive of documents and other materials. The panel is grateful for the continuing support of the Hillsborough families in taking forward its unique and important work.”
So. Will all the facts be presented? Yes. One day. But not for years…
NOTE; Anorak has pictures of fans being crushed against the fencing. They make for grim viewing. Do we publish them – include them in the gallery below? The mainstream news has photos of the dead in Libya, for example. Do we publish? Do the photos tell the full story?
1140247
Norman Bettison (right) comes face to face with members of the Hillsborough family support group as he attends an emergency meeting of the Merseyside Police Authority which is looking at his appointment as the new Chief Constable of Merseyside today (Monday) . Mr Bettison was part of a unit set up in the aftermath of the 1989 FA Cup semi-final tragedy which tried to deflect blame away from the police. See PA story POLICE Hillsborough. Photo by Dave Kendall/PA.
Posted: 23rd, August 2011 | In: Key Posts, Politicians Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
