The purpose of the Hillsborough: What is the Truth? blog

I've spent many hours over the last few weeks looking at the Hillsborough Independent Panel report and some of the very many documents which were made public at the same time.

I am struck by the parallels with, for example, the cover-up of the suspicious death of David Kelly.

Among the parallels are the following:

1. Persistent seeming dishonesty within the relevant Police forces - South Yorkshire Police and West Midlands Police in the case of Hillsborough, Thames Valley Police in the case of the death of David Kelly
2. Questionable actions or inaction by the Coroner - Dr. Stefan Popper in the case of Hillsborough, Mr. Nicholas Gardiner and Mr. Darren Salter in the case of David Kelly
3. A naive reliance on questionable and/or dishonest evidence of pathologists - nine pathologists in the case of Hillsborough, Dr. Nicholas Hunt and Dr. Richard Shepherd in the case of David Kelly
4. A naive reliance on the imagined integrity and ability to find the truth of the judiciary - Lord Justice Taylor, Lord Justice McCowan, Mr. Justice Hooper and Lord Justice Stuart-Smith in the case of Hillsborough and Lord Hutton in the case of David Kelly
5. A naive reliance on the imagined integrity and/or competence of the Crown Prosecution Service.
6. A naive reliance on the imagined integrity and competence of the Attorney General and his office - Dominic Grieve in the case of David Kelly

There is no doubt in my mind that in both the cases of Hillsborough and David Kelly that there has been a sustained, premeditated conspiracy on the part of many Police officers.

But, it seems to me, the criminal conspiracy must go wider.

Which of the players were active conspirators?

Which were culpable by their silence?

Which were innocent or semi-innocent bystanders?

In this blog I hope to have time to explore some of those important questions.

If time and energy allow I hope to write a book provisionally entitled "Hillsborough: What is the truth?".

I believe that the Hillsborough Independent Panel has revealed some of the truth relating to the Hillsborough disaster but not all. More, anon, of the specific issues where I believe that the Hillsborough Independent Panel report may have missed substantive and more minor aspects of the truth.