On Monday 19th October, it emerged that the Home Secretary is considering a public inquiry into the 1974 Birmingham Pub Bombings.
According to Birmingham Mail, Priti Patel has agreed to meet with the families of the 21 victims who died when IRA terrorists struck at two crowded city centre bars. Priti Patel’s consideration appears after a meeting with West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, a longstanding supporter of Justice4the21.
The Home Secretary said, “My sympathy remains with all those affected by these awful events 46 years ago. And I recognise the desire of the victim’s families and the wider community to see those responsible brought to justice. So, I would welcome the opportunity to meet some of the families so that I can take their views into account, together with official advice, before making any decision.”
There has been increasing demand for an independent public inquiry after the controversial historic pub bombings inquest held in 2019 where the coroner excluded the key issue of who was responsible from its scope - though the names of several alleged bombers surfaced.
