Labour are scrambling to avoid another rebellion (Image: Getty)
Labour chiefs are desperately trying to avoid another humiliating rebellion as Lisa Nandy insisted the intelligence services won’t be “exempt” from major new transparency rules.
The Culture Secretary admitted ministers are scrambling to strike a deal with MPs who are concerned the Hillsborough Law’s “duty of candour” is being watered down.
Andy Burnham, the Greater Mayor of Manchester, has called on the Government to withdraw an amendment to the Hillsborough Law that “creates too broad an opt-out” for the security services.
Campaigners have argued this would allow those running the security services to decide whether to disclose information.
And Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram, alongside Mr Burnham said on Saturday that the amendment “risks undermining the spirit of the legislation”.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer‘s authority has been rocked by 13 u-turns on key plans, including on benefits which came after 49 Labour MPs voted against the Government’s Welfare Bill.
Amendments proposed by the Government on Wednesday brought spies within the scope of the legislation, subject to the approval of the head of their service.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the “challenge is to make sure that this applies to the security services without fear or favour” and that they can “continue to do their jobs”.
Ms Nandy told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “I just want to be really clear, the security services won’t be exempt.”
She added: “We’re going to do what we’ve done all the way through the process of this really landmark piece of legislation. We’re talking to the families, we’re talking to the campaigners and we’re going to work with them to resolve it.”
Asked if the Government would be able to do a deal before the vote on Monday, Ms Nandy said: “I think we’re going to be able to find a way to resolve it.
“I’m really confident about that because we have already and the reason that this is difficult is because we’re resetting the relationship between people and the state and putting people back in the driving seat.
“Now, we’ve been attacked and undermined at every stage but the people that we’ve never been attacked and undermined by are the families who’ve been fighting for justice.
“We work with them as partners because this bill is for them and we’re going to make sure that we deliver on it.”
Asked again about a potential deal over the next 24 hours, Ms Nandy said: “Look, I’m confident that we’re going to resolve it.
“How it plays out tomorrow at the moment is dependent on those conversations that we have but those conversations are going on right now.
“We’re listening, as we’ve always listened, and we will find a way to get this right because in the end we want the same thing.”
Some campaigners have warned that a draft version of the legislation – formally known as the Public Office (Accountability) Bill – might allow intelligence chiefs to “hide serious failures behind a vague claim of national security”.
The Wigan MP rejected a suggestion that the plans could be withdrawn amid the threat of backbench opposition to it and said the Government is talking to families and campaigners.
Spies failed to act on crucial clues that could have thwarted Salman Abedi killing 22 people, a scathing 226-page review by Sir John Saunders found.
The intelligence could have led to investigators following Abedi – who had links to ISIS and Al-Qaeda terrorists – to the Nissan Micra where he stored his explosives.
And the Islamist terrorist could also have been stopped at Manchester Airport as he returned from Libya four days before the attack.
The exact nature of the intelligence was withheld from the public report due to national security concerns.
And the families of the Manchester Arena terror attack said: “MI5 failed our loved ones and failed us.
“It did so by failing to prevent the Arena bombing. But it then failed and hurt us further through its lack of candour after the attack.
“During the Manchester Arena inquiry, MI5 lied about the key intelligence it held about the suicide bomber before the attack.
“Despite MI5 lying to a public inquiry in this way, no one has been held to account.
“This lack of accountability needs to change. Creating a full duty of candour responsibility on MI5, MI6 and GCHQ is the clearest route to creating this change.
“We are dismayed that, as the draft bill is currently written, MI5 and the other organisations are being allowed to escape the full duty of candour responsibility.
“Every security and intelligence officer should be required the tell the truth, and the leaders of the organisations should also bear full responsibility.
“How many times must MI5 show that it cannot be trusted before something is done?
“We are calling on you to keep your promise and ensure that MI5, MI6 and GCHQ are held to the same standards as everyone else.”
