Home Secretary agrees to look at the case for Birmingham bombings public inquiry
Families of victims of the Birmingham pub bombings have been given fresh hope of a public inquiry after Home Secretary Priti Patel promised to look again at the case for holding one.
Ms Patel said she "recognised the desire to see those responsible brought to justice" and agreed to look into the case for a public inquiry, the first Home Secretary to do so.
Twenty-one people were killed and more than 180 injured when bombs planted by the IRA ripped through The Mulberry Bush and Tavern in the Town pubs in 1974.
Nearly half a century on the case remains the largest unsolved murder in recent British history.
Ms Patel vowed to look at the case for a public inquiry following a meeting with West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, a supporter of the Justice for 21 Campaign, who welcomed the pledge as a step in the right direction.
The Home Secretary said she was keen to meet the victims' families before making a decision.
She said: “My sympathy remains with all those affected by these awful events 46 years ago. And I recognise the desire of the victims' families and the wider community to see those responsible brought to justice.
"So I would welcome the opportunity to meet some of the families so that I can take their views into account, together with official advice, before making any decision.”
Mr Street said: “While this is not a firm commitment, it is a step towards securing a public inquiry and ultimately justice for the 21 murdered that night and their families. I want to thank the Home Secretary for taking the meeting to discuss this grave injustice, and for then agreeing to look into the case for a public inquiry.
“I am firmly of the belief that the only way to achieve justice now is through an open, panel-led, public inquiry, and I will continue to make the case alongside the J421 campaign. The families, and the city of Birmingham, need closure.”
He added: “The Home Secretary was clear that she was keen to meet with some of the victims’ families so that she could understand first-hand the impact the lack of justice was having, and the importance of this campaign to everyone in Birmingham and across the region. I know this will be welcome news for the families, and we look forward to her visit to the West Midlands.”
Julie Hambleton, who lost her sister Maxine in the pub bombings, and is a member of Justice for the 21, said: “We welcome this opportunity to discuss the need for a statutory inquiry into the Birmingham Pub Bombings 1974 with the Home Secretary.
"We want to thank the West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, for his intervention on our behalf. We believe that a public inquiry is the only mechanism of investigation to establish truth, justice and accountability for those murdered in the pub bombings.”
Jurors concluded at an inquest last year there were no errors in the way police responded to an IRA warning call and that their actions did not contribute to the deaths of 21 people.
