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Following the tragic Manchester Arena bombing, Figen Murray has been campaigning for better counter-terrorism measures in public venues. As we get closer to the general election, time is running out for the bill to be made UK legislation.
When a terrorist bomb went off at Manchester Arena during a music concert, the aftermath was staggering. More than 240 emergency calls flooded in, prompting a swift response from 400 police officers and ambulances rushing casualties to eight hospitals. 116 people were injured and tragically 22 lives were lost, including 29 year old Martyn Hett.
Since then, Martyn’s mother, Figen has tirelessly campaigned for better preparedness against terrorist attacks. She has been the driving force behind Martyn’s Law, also known as the Terrorism Protection of Premises Bill, which asks for venues to provide staff with freely available counter-terrorism training, carry out risk assessments inside and outside of their premises, mitigate any risks identified during this process and have a counter-terrorism action plan.
The proposed legislation asks for local authorities to be prepared for an attack. In Figen’s initial research period, she found it shocking that there is a legal requirement for a certain amount of toilets that are required by venues depending on their capacity, that there are rules about temperature of food being served, yet nothing about actually keeping people safe from attacks.
With the help and support of Brendan Cox, Founder of Survivors Against Terror and Nick Aldworth, former Chief Superintendent for Metropolitan Police, she has been in regular discussion with the government who are working on the finer details of Martyn’s Law.
Speaking at The Security Event 2024 in Birmingham, Nick Aldworth shared a campaign update and the next steps.
“Despite promises, progress has been slow. As a final act of protest, we’re going to walk from Manchester to London, arriving on the seventh anniversary of the tragedy. We are doing this to urge Rishi Sunak to stick to his commitment to make our country safer by introducing counter terrorism legislation.”
Nick Aldworth, Director of Counter Terrorism, Intelligence and Risk, Carlisle Support Services.
In under a week’s time, Figen will be standing on the spot where Martyn died, alongside 21 other innocent victims in the Manchester Arena attack. She will then walk nearly 200 miles from Manchester Arena to 10 Downing Street, arriving on the seventh anniversary of the attack.
“On the final day, Wednesday 22 May 2024, I would love people to come along and join us at Marble Arch at 9am, as we walk the last section to 10 Downing Street. We have arranged for security and support to be on hand.
“As I recently said when I announced that I’d be doing this walk, it’s about time Martyn’s Law was introduced to parliament so that it can become UK legislation. This isn’t party political. It is about doing the right thing to make businesses and venues more secure, and to ensure that no parent has to experience the pain I endure daily.”
Figen Murray.
Nick spoke about the campaign’s most significant hurdle being the lack of continuity in government. Since its launch in June 2019, there has been multiple different prime ministers, secretaries and security ministers.
“It’s felt like starting over every few months. Of course, we understand the disruptions caused by COVID-19, which meant we had to take a step back for a year. However, the underlying pressure for action has remained constant.”
The pressing need now is for the campaign’s voice to be heard in parliament before July. Typically, as the government breaks off for summer holidays at the end of July and doesn’t fully resume work until November, the window for action is limited. Failure to introduce the bill before the parliamentary recess could mean losing the opportunity for the next couple of years.
“We’re running out of energy, but we’re hopeful that if we can get the bill heard, debated, and into committees, we stand a chance of getting it through this year. The ‘wash up’ procedure, where outgoing and incoming governments agree on urgent bills, might be our best shot.”
Nick Aldworth, Director of Counter Terrorism, Intelligence and Risk, Carlisle Support Services.
However, if the bill isn’t pushed through this time, the team will have to start all over again. It’s a daunting prospect, but Nick said they are determined to keep fighting for change.
Figen Murray spoke to Catherine Levin, Editor of Emergency Services Times about her journey from therapist to campaigner and her drive to make sure that staff in venues like the Manchester Arena can better respond when the worst happens. Read the full article here.
