Boris Johnson: "I apologised then and I apologise now" for 2004 Spectator editorial blaming fans for Hillsborough disaster

Comments

[Axstane]

I would like to see the Hefferlump, who actually wrote the offensive and factually incorrect article, apologise.

His defence was "Boris made me".

[Josh]

This is all well and good, can we get an apology from Liverpool for the Heysel stadium disaster? Hypocrisy and victimhood runs deep through the Mersey.

[redmayne77]

This is an unfortunate statement: the Hillsborough families do not want closure, they want something done on the basis of this report, ie an investigation and perhaps prosecutions.

I am sure he didn't mean to say this but he should have enagaged his brain a bit and had a bit more sensitivity.

As for Simon Heffer, he doesnt beleivein apologising.

[David MacDonald]

Alas, poor Boris, I knew him well! (anyway, I met him once)

[commentator]

While there was clearly misconduct in relation to the Hillsborough Disaster, the whole post mortem is getting out of hand.....and of course the usual suspects are trying to blame the whole thing on their eternal bogeywoman, Mrs Thatcher. Yet again we see the devious hypocrites of the political class (led by Cameron) scourging themselves in public over one group of victims whom it is politically correct to appease while others (at least as deserving if not more so) have injustice rammed down their throats by the British establishment. Starting with the thousands of innocent victims of terror in Northern Ireland.

I support Liverpool FC but anyone who saw what went on at Heysel in 1985 will recognise that the reputation of Liverpool fans in 1989 was not the best for a very good reason. And it's no good blaming the Belgians.....They didn't make Liverpool fans charge Juventus fans.

[Robert DMML]

Well said commentator. It has been overlooked as memory fades that the police had much trouble with football fans during thec 80's - indeed, as a result of the deaths at Heysel England was banned from participating in Eurpoean football for 5 years. The Left has finally got the result it wanted, yes, I hear Mrs Thatcher was to blame for the cover up. Whilst we have every symthy for the deaths and bereavment I cannot believe that the fans eager to watch the match did not contribute to the crush, even though the police safety strategy was at fault. It will be interesting to find out how witness statments were redacted, apparently, so obviously and with "tipex"?

[Mancman10]

Sorry but 2 wrongs do not make a right! Heysel has nothing to do with Hillsborough & can't be used as a smokescreen to cover up Hillisborough which has now been proved to be the biggest cover up of all time.

Is anybody really that naive to think the cover up just stops at the police???? NO CHANCE! Many of you tories may wish this just to go away now but it won't & it can't & anybody connected with perverting the course of justice will be brought to book & it that means the then govt ministers then so be it.

[Public Sector Worker]

So you won't be satisfied until Government officials from the time are brought to justice? But what if the evidence shows none of them was culpable? Would you still be satisfied? Doesn't sound like it.

I'm not convinced you are interested in real justice at all.

I, on the other hand, would like to see a new inquiry opened to examine everything, and that includes the conduct of the fans and the ticketing situation, and blame apportioned correctly. If that means that ultimately Government, local Government, the Police, the Ambulance Service, the press, the FA and the fans all take their fair share (if deserved) then so be it.

[Axstane]

Irrespective of how many inquiries take place there are always a large number of people who have predetermined issues and ignore or dispute the findings of any of them.

We can see this as there are still people who dispute who was the killer of JFK, who believe Princess Diana was murdered, who believe the USA government deliberately brought down the World Towers, that Neil Armstrong never landed on the Moon and so forth. It is still hard to see how they manage to add this to all of the things they blame Thatcher for.

And, if yet another inquiry is set, how can any of those found "guilty" be punished? And what Commissioners will be acceptable? Only Liverpool fans? Not churchmen? Not "government stooges"? Who, then?

[Michael Dixon]

Boris Johnson got it wrong and Michael Howard, got hold of his ear and sent him packing up to Liverpool to apologise.

He has said sorry again, but I doubt it will be of any consolation to those who were insulted.

Boris Johnson has his strong points, but has fallen short on several occasions in public life.

But the biggest political idiot tonight is Jack Straw-what a fool he has made of himself in trying to cover-up his guilt for non-action when Home Secretary.

[commentator]

Mancman, who said that two wrongs make a right? The point I made was that in the mid-to-late 1980's, Liverpool fans rightly had a bad reputation because of the behaviour which led to the deaths of 39 Juventus fans at Heysel. People are now conveniently forgetting that. I don't have an axe to grind here: I am a Liverpool fan.

By contrast, you are desperate to breathe life into the corpse of a story about the Evil Mrs Thatcher and the Saintly Scousers.

[Blaire Wilker]

I am afraid Boris is becoming very charming these days... Hope could do more than just apologizing.