UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK PM Sir Keir Starmer faces backlash over plans to appoint former Sun editor David Dinsmore, with Hillsborough families calling him “unfit for public office.”
As reported by The Guardian, a Hillsborough survivor and several bereaved families have urged the Prime Minister to cancel the appointment of a former Sun editor to a senior communications role.
What did Hillsborough families say about Starmer’s pick?
Hillsborough families, joined by others affected by institutional injustice, urged Starmer to drop Dinsmore, calling him “unfit for office” due to his ties to The Sun and its false 1989 tragedy coverage.
They wrote,
“After the Hillsborough disaster, in the midst of unimaginable suffering among the bereaved and the survivors, the Sun newspaper published vicious lies about the conduct of fans. Graphic and false allegations cast the deceased and those who survived as barbaric, feckless and inhumane.”
The people who signed the letter said The Sun still avoids taking responsibility. It doesn’t accept outside checks and keeps publishing harmful stories about vulnerable and marginalised groups.
The letter states,
“For these reasons, we are deeply concerned by the proposed appointment of David Dinsmore to the role of permanent secretary for communications.”
It added,
“As a senior executive of News UK, [Dinsmore] has been involved in the company’s false denials of the Sun’s commissioning of illegal activity throughout the 2000s.”
Steve Rotheram’s views on the ex-Sun editor appointment
The mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, has raised worries about the controversial appointment.
He said,
“For many people in our city, particularly those who fought for justice for the Hillsborough families, this appointment will be seen as a deeply insensitive choice, given the hurt caused to our communities unjustly targeted by that ‘newspaper’, Rupert Murdoch and his acolytes.”
Mr Rotheram added,
“I fully support the government’s ambition to rebuild trust in politics. But appointments like this could risk undermining that effort. Trust can’t be restored by drawing from the same networks that helped erode it.”
What did Charlotte Hennessy say about Dinsmore’s appointment?
Charlotte Hennessy, whose father died in the Hillsborough disaster, slammed Dinsmore’s past remarks, saying,
“Dinsmore suggested the only mistake the Sun made regarding Hillsborough was the headline. Not the lies, not the smears.”
She added,
“If Keir Starmer wants to deliver change, he needs to get on with delivering the Hillsborough law he promised and backtrack on appointing someone so unsuitable for public office.”
Who is David Dinsmore?
David Dinsmore, former editor of The Sun and current News UK executive, is ready to take over as the government’s communications chief.
Downing Street created the position in response to the prime minister’s concerns over poor communication from the government.
Dinsmore started his journalism career at the Scottish Sun in 1990 and was appointed editor in 2006. He went on to serve in senior positions, including managing editor, and was involved in the launch of the Sun’s Sunday edition.
The Cabinet Office said no one has been appointed yet, so it’s not right to comment on Dinsmore right now.
Hillsborough tragedy
- 97 Liverpool fans died and more than 700 were injured in a crush at Hillsborough Stadium on April 15, 1989.
- Police blamed for the incident, bad crowd control, opening gates into packed areas, and slow emergency help caused the deaths.
- Officers wrongly blamed fans and hid the truth for years. A 2012 report showed lies and changes to evidence.