Manchester Arena Inquiry Chief Slams Lack of Follow-Up on Terror Recommendations
Sir John Saunders, chairman of the Manchester Arena Inquiry, has slammed the glaring gaps in ensuring MI5 and Counter Terrorism Policing actually act on vital recommendations following the 2017 bombing. The attack, which killed 22 and left dozens injured, has been under intense scrutiny since the inquiry kicked off in September 2020.
Progress on Key Recommendations Still Dragging
At a recent hearing, Sir John revealed some of his November 2022 suggestions have only just started being tackled – and even then, it took the threat of a public hearing to get things moving. He stressed the need for public accountability on progress, saying it’s crucial for the grieving families to see action, not just words.
Who Watches the Watchers? Monitoring Recommendations Still MIA
The big problem? There’s no proper system to monitor whether MI5 and Counter Terrorism Policing fix their mistakes. Both agencies admit errors were made, yet no clear oversight is in place. Sir John pitched several ideas to tackle this, including:
- Getting the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) involved
- Enlisting Sir Brian Leveson, Investigatory Powers Commissioner, who has access to the secret report
- Sir John himself and his team stepping back in for a freebie meeting with MI5 and CT Policing
More Failures: Department of Health Slammed Over First-Aid Checks
Sir John also blasted the Department of Health for ignoring calls to verify qualifications of first-aiders at big events. He highlighted the “care gap” where the public ends up providing emergency help while ambulance crews assess scene safety – a dangerous flaw in major incident response.
Families Demand Accountability After Past Failures
The chairman’s bombshell comments come amid a campaign by Richard Caseby, whose son Matthew died after fleeing a Priory hospital. Caseby is pushing hard for proper monitoring of inquest recommendations to prevent future tragedies.
Sir John’s final report in March laid bare MI5’s blunder in missing a “significant opportunity” to track bomber Salman Abedi after his return from Libya days before the attack. Bereaved families have repeatedly demanded improvements to stop history repeating itself.
Setting up a robust system to monitor these recommendations is now vital—not just to prevent any repeat horror, but to rebuild trust with the public and victims’ families.
