Mayor Andy Street calls for public inquiry into Birmingham pub bombings after reinvestigation

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has called for a public inquiry into the Birmingham pub bombings after the Crown Prosecution Service has told victims’ families that no criminal charges are being brought following a reinvestigation into the terrorist atrocity due to insufficient evidence.

On November 21, 1974, two bomb blasts rocked Birmingham city centre as people flocked to local bars to enjoy time with friends. Twenty-one people lost their lives and 200 more were injured, but nobody has been held responsible. The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) never officially admitted responsibility for the Birmingham pub bombings.

Six innocent men were jailed for the bombings but their convictions were quashed in 1991. Known as the Birmingham Six - Hugh Callaghan, Paddy Hill, Gerry Hunter, John Walker, Richard McIlkenny and Billy Power - were jailed in 1975 and spent almost two decades in prison.

A campaign group - Justice for the 21 - which includes the families of the victims who died in the pub bombings have been seeking a public inquiry since 2014. The J421 said they had some hope after inquests were held in 2019 and in 2022 that they would finally see justice done with the bombers officially named. West Midlands Police had submitted evidence to the CPS, but yesterday (Monday, August 21) an announcement was made that no charges were being made.

The CPS has said that it could not positively identify who planted the bombs. The Guardian reported that in a letter to the victims’ families, the CPS said that it did not have sufficient evidence to identify who made a confession to Mr Mullin and that it was unlikely that a new court order compelling him to reveal the source would be granted.

Nick Price, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “The Birmingham pub bombings were a terrorist atrocity which cut short the lives of 21 people and injured many more who were simply seeking to enjoy their evening. The attack has brought such unimaginable grief and our thoughts remain with the family, friends and every one of the victims.”

What Mayor Andy Street said

WMCA Mayor Andy Street wrote on Twitter: “Incredibly disappointing - but sadly no one was expecting any different. I still believe a public inquiry has to be the route to truth, justice, & accountability now, and I’m continuing to work with @Justice4the21 and Ministers to try and make it happen.”

What the Justice for the 21 group said about the Pub Bombings Reinvestigation

Julie Hambleton of Justice for the 21 told BirminghamWorld today (Tuesday, August 22): “We’re obviously disappointed but then we’ve been disappointed since 1974. We were lied to. We were told that six men did this and they didn’t do it. And, when they were released in 1991, nobody chose to do anything to reinvestigate or do anything.

“It’s only because of our campaign that we have got the West Midlands Police to do a reinvestigation, which was conducted once the inquest in 2019 was completed. It just adds to the myth and rumor that surrounds the murder of our loved ones.”

Hambleton’s sister Maxine was one of the victims who lost her life at the bombings. Hambleton added: “We’ve been pushing for a statutory public inquiry since 2014. You see what people need to understand is that the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconcilliation) Bill which is otherwise known as the amnesty bill is being pushed in the Parliament. This, according to the government at least, is to avoid any future vexatious prosecutions against soldiers.”

She added: “The Grenfell families, god bless them, had a public inquiry. The Manchester Arena bombing information that was released, that was absolutely horrific for the families to sit in and hear how they were let down. And I mean amazingly, the security services have admitted liability for not doing enough. It’s unbelievable. You have the Hillsborough families. But when it comes to the Birmingham Pub Bombing families of 1974. What you find is that you have political policing!

“There were 21 souls taken. With over 200, left with life-changing injuries. How is it possible to differential between one murder and another. What the government are doing, is they’re creating a hierarchy of victims, where some families is appears, are more entitled to justice than others. To us, it’s time tantamount to ethical, moral, and most importantly legal turpitude.”

When asked how she has been coping with her grief for almost five decades, she added: “I believe that my sister gives me the strength and, and our families have strength among amongst us.

“We keep each other going, but ultimately it’s our supporters and our legal team, who are based in Belfast and continue to represent us pro bono because we’ve been refused legal aid over 14 times. When times are tough. We know our supporters are right behind us. So if we fall, we know they’re there to pick us up and to catch us. And it’s because of them that we have the strength to continue because we have to fight on.”