Mayor: Vigil will unite the city

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Mayor Anderson, first of all, can you just explain exactly what Liverpool City Council has organised for Wednesday, September 12?

In conjunction with the families, we have organised a vigil for Wednesday. Quite simply, for me, it is a way of the city showing, not only to the families, but those who were affected by Hillsborough, that we continue to support them and that we are there for them. It's about showing solidarity as the city has done for 23 years. That's really what it's for - so people can unite and we can support one another and be there together. I've often said that Hillsborough was a momentous day in the city of Liverpool's history for all the wrong reasons but nevertheless a momentous day. And I hope that Wednesday, September 12 will be a momentous day for the right reasons. And I think it is right and fitting that the people should unite and come together to support the families of the 96 and also those who have been impacted (by the disaster). To support those who have been injured and those who were mentally scarred by the events on that tragic day. It is an opportunity for us to come together and pray together and be together.

What exactly will be going on at St George's Plateau?

We've got a number of people who are going to be there. It will be a solemn occasion. It will be a vigil and it will be, in many ways, an event that will be similar to events that occur on the anniversary of the disaster at Anfield. It will be reflective, it will be dignified and it will of course remember all of those people who tragically lost their lives. It will be an opportunity for the club and the families to speak on hopefully what will be an occasion where the truth is finally established and finally out there. People have waited 23 years for this particular opportunity to occur.

I guess truth is something that you are hoping the panel and its reports are finally going to achieve on record and in its totality?

Yes. As a football fan, who happened to go to the other semi-final that day (between Everton and Norwich City) I've always looked at the tragic events and thought, 'there but for the grace of God go I'. It was a flip of a coin that decided who played where and I could have been at Hillsborough rather than at the other semi-final. And I've argued for many, many years, as have lots of other people, that we wanted the truth and that we needed the truth. (We have needed the truth) for the families, in order to close the door, in terms of their grief and their loss and also to lift the cloud that has hung over those individuals who lost their lives so tragically. Also, for every other football fan that was there at Hillsborough and also football fans across the city of Liverpool, Red or Blue. I think the character assassination of all football fans from the city, as a whole, can be lifted and it can be lifted by revealing the truth. If we get the truth, I believe that justice should rightly follow and hopefully that is what we will get from this independent panel. Hopefully we will get all the information revealed and the truth revealed about why these events occurred and why they were allowed to occur. The cover up, the lies, the way authority covered up events; I think that if that is revealed on Wednesday, then it will be a momentous day for the right reasons. Then hopefully, following from that, we will get justice. We shouldn't have to argue for that, we shouldn't have to campaign or demand it - it should come as a natural human right. When the truth is revealed, somebody should own up and apologise but actions should be taken to make sure that those held accountable and responsible do receive justice and the families can then grieve and take closure from their grieving process.

Margaret Aspinall, chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, has called for a full apology from the Prime Minister on Wednesday. Do you expect and hope that will happen?

It's very difficult because until Wednesday we won't get to know all the information. We know a certain amount of things; we know statements were changed, we know words were said about actions of people which were just falsified, we know that tapes went missing, we know that there was no safety certificate (at the ground) - we know a whole host of things that, in any other civilised country, people would hold their hands up and say, 'look the authorities and those responsible got it tragically wrong and we apologise for that'. I just hope that the Prime Minister takes the opportunity, when all that information is revealed along with new information, to stand up and say sorry to the families of the people who have lost their lives. (And say sorry) to those who were injured, those who have suffered mentally and to the city of Liverpool for the cloud that we have had hanging over us for 23 years. So I hope he does (apologise) and I hope he has the courage to do so - I don't think he would have anything in particular to lose. The panel inquiry was set up by a (Labour) government that wasn't in power at that particular time (in 1989). Andy Burnham and Maria Eagle (Labour MPs) deserve a lot of credit for pushing and challenging for that, along with others. And I think Cameron should, whether he is of a different political party or persuasion, accept the fact that whatever party that was in control at that time, that they got it wrong and that they helped with the cover up that will go down in the annals of history as a miscarriage of justice beyond anybody's wildest imagination.

The fact that we are about to get the whole truth and nothing but the truth about Hillsborough is a great testament to many people who have campaigned so hard for so long, nobody less so than the bereaved families. What can you tell us about the way they have conducted themselves?

We owe them a real debt of gratitude. I have spoken to the families about the vigil and other things recently and I know they have always felt in some way they could not have done it alone. I think the fact that they have unstintingly carried on the fight for justice and the way they have done that with such dignity, with such determination and passion, has been something that we all need to be grateful and thankful of. Time passes by and you could forget the enormity of what happened on that day. But 96 people, who only went to watch a football game, were killed and that was something that people have tried to brush aside. The families would not allow it to be. We owe them a great deal for doing that. What gives me such a lift is that finally they will be able to - not get complete composure, they never will - but be able to have their loved ones' names cleared. (It gives me a great lift that) they can feel a sense of joy at that. I use the word joy because I'm sure that's how they will feel if finally they get some recognition of the fact that the 96 were unlawfully killed. We all know that was the case and so do they but hopefully recognition of that will come. And it might not come on Wednesday but it might follow from that. We can see a large chunk of light at the edge of the tunnel now which is, I hope, a great relief to them.

Wednesday will of course be a hugely difficult day for the bereaved families of Hillsborough and a difficult day for the survivors of the disaster as well. How do you expect the people of Liverpool to respond to the day's events?

One of the things that we have done as a city is work with other neighbours and we've got a group of people on stand-by to comfort the bereaved and comfort those who need support. That is the physical side of it but I think emotionally, the city being there (at the vigil) and rallying behind the families will give them an enormous amount of strength. And I know that is the case because I have spoken to individuals who have said that, like when you go to the memorial services as I regularly do, the support is always a great source of comfort to them.  I'm sure there'll be thousands of people there and I think the fact that the news will be shared with the city and the city will be there behind them, standing shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with them, as they have done for 23 years, will give them a tremendous uplift.

Once again, Reds and Blues will be stood there united and together...

Absolutely. I'm an Evertonian as most people know but I'm a fighter for justice and will champion that all along. I'm proud to be part of this campaign, even in a small, small way because it's right and it's just. Some of my family are Reds fans and this isn't an issue about blue or red, it's about our city being totally committed and totally united behind the fight for justice to make sure those who lost their lives 23 years are remembered. I'm sure we'll all be there on Wednesday - Blues and Reds together.