Since launching our campaign in 2012 for truth, justice, and accountability for the victims of the 1974 Birmingham Pub Bombings, we have witnessed the rise and fall of seven Prime Ministers—two of whom we met during their ascent to power. Yet, despite these changes, justice for our loved ones remains elusive.
We have engaged with numerous Home Secretaries, politicians from Westminster to Brussels, and three regional mayors—including the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham. Local MPs have pledged support, but promises have repeatedly gone unfulfilled.
An inquest into the murders confirmed that our loved ones were victims of a terrorist attack—yet it revealed nothing more. We have repeatedly requested a statutory public inquiry into the bombings, only to be denied. The government categorizes our tragedy as part of the Troubles legacy, disqualifying it from the same mechanisms designed for Northern Ireland families—mechanisms that have themselves been criticized for lacking independence and statutory powers, falling short of the European Convention on Human Rights standards.
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While some families in Northern Ireland have accessed inquests, police investigations, public inquiries, and legal aid, we have been denied these fundamental rights. Our inquest explicitly ruled out investigating the question: “Who bombed Birmingham?” Meanwhile, West Midlands Police have a history of denial and failure, and our legal aid system blocks access to justice—a fact underscored by a recent Parliamentary Justice Committee report.
We believe the Home Office knows far more about the bombings than it admits. Our Freedom of Information requests suggest that decisions about our case have been influenced by security considerations and the Northern Ireland Office, undermining the credibility of ongoing refusals for a public inquiry. The final decision now rests with the Prime Minister—the very leader who championed Hillsborough Law and transparency, values denied to us by police, coroners, and the Home Office.
The involvement of civil servants linked to security services in key decisions raises further questions. Former Prime Minister David Cameron allegedly told families of Patrick Finucane that a public inquiry was blocked by powerful people within Downing Street. A similar inquiry was eventually established in 2024. Likewise, the refusal and subsequent approval of an inquiry into the 1998 Omagh Bombing highlight the double standards faced by our campaign.
If national security concerns prevent the inquiry into our case—a tragedy over 50 years old—we ask: in whose interest? Certainly not in the interest of our loved ones or justice. The Birmingham Pub Bombings are not part of the Troubles legacy or the Good Friday Agreement outcomes; they represent an unsolved mass murder in England and the failures of state institutions to resolve it.
Over the years, we have stood alongside many other campaign groups advocating for justice—from Orgreave miners to victims of contaminated blood scandals—and while inquiries have been launched for many, our case remains neglected.
We met Andy Burnham years ago at Westminster. He understands our cause and our demand for justice. As he becomes the seventh Prime Minister since our campaign began, we send this clear message: we will continue to fight, and we are not going away.
Julie Hambleton
Justice for the 21 Campaign