Liverpool fans’ anger over Labour conference Iain Dale event

A Liverpool FC supporters’ group has written to the prime minister to complain about the planned appearance of political commentator Iain Dale at the Labour Party’s conference in the city.

Spirit of Shankly (SOS) said it felt his appearance was inappropriate because a company he co-owned published books by former South Yorkshire Police chief inspector Norman Bettison and the ex-editor of The Sun, Kelvin McKenzie.

The Sun has been the subject of a long-running boycott in Merseyside over its coverage of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, while Mr Bettison has faced accusations he tried to blame Liverpool fans for the tragedy, which claimed 97 lives.

Mr Dale told the BBC he had been to “virtually every Labour Party conference since 1998, including all the ones in Liverpool” and described SOS’s intervention as “ridiculous”.

The Labour Party has been approached for comment.

In its letter to Sir Keir Starmer, SOS said: “That the Labour Party should now offer him a platform in this city is an insult, compounded by the current fear of those Hillsborough families, survivors and campaigners – as voiced by Liverpool MP Ian Byrne – that the Hillsborough Law will not be delivered in full as promised.

“This decision, coming after the recent appointment of David Dinsmore as the government’s director of communications, merely adds to a growing sense of betrayal.”

SOS said it had also written to every Merseyside Labour MP over Mr Dale’s planned appearance.

It is the second time an appearance in Liverpool by Mr Dale has sparked controversy in relation to Hillsborough.

In 2024, the Philharmonic Hall cancelled a tour date for the stage show spin-off of his LBC podcast For The Many, citing “local sensitivities”.

Mr Dale said at the time the theatre had been “cowed by a couple of Twitter trolls”.

SOS also raised that in 2011, during an appearance in Liverpool for the Labour Party conference, Mr Dale had described the city as “ghastly”, saying it “made Gaza look welcoming”.

Mr Dale told the BBC: “Both Keir Starmer and Merseyside Labour MPs are very happy to appear on my LBC radio show, so I can’t imagine they will have any truck with this ridiculous attempt to get me banned from the conference.”