Overview
- In a letter seen by the BBC, relatives asked that MI5, MI6 and GCHQ be explicitly bound by the Public Office (Accountability) Bill's duty of candour.
- Their barrister, Pete Weatherby KC, said MI5 failed to act on material about Salman Abedi then advanced a false narrative to protect itself.
- Weatherby said any evidence presented in public or closed hearings must be truthful and warned against legislative carve‑outs for the security services.
- Keir Starmer’s government has introduced the bill to require truthfulness after major disasters, with ministers saying they are considering changes that protect national security.
- The push comes as accountability efforts continue, including a 2024 lawsuit by more than 250 survivors and a December ruling awarding nearly £20 million to injured children.