Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has said the emergency services failed so badly because at the time of the Manchester Arena terror attack,they had poor leadership, a poor internal culture and an inability to collaborate properly”
Speaking after the publication of Sir John Stevens second report into the attack in May 2017
Burnham said that there were many people who did act courageously and selflessly in the moment as Sir John said himself today.
“We recognise what they did. Police officers and paramedics did run into what they believed to be a dangerous situation as did Arena staff, Travel Safe officers and staff from Northern Rail at Victoria Station.@
“In particular, the members of the public who helped others in a desperate situation deserve our huge thanks and more recognition for what they did.”
He had harsh words for Greater Manchester Police as well saying that it was incredible:
that our police force back then provided an inaccurate account of their actions nine months after the attack, which was signed off by the former Chief Constable, something which he accepted in evidence in 2021 was a, quote, “grave error”.
“It is my view that the Force tried to stick for too long to a corporate narrative that suggested it had acted effectively.
Following the report Burnham has asked the new Chief Constable and Chief Fire Officer to consider whether we need a major overhaul of the handling of 999 calls in Greater Manchester and for an evaluation from both Chiefs on whether we should co-locate police and fire in a joint control room in Greater Manchester.
He also believes that
“A legal duty of candour on all public servants would break this pattern that keeps on repeating; it would empower police officers and public servants at every level to say what they feel needs to be said to all official inquiries and thereby resist any pressure from above not to do so. In that way, it would be a protection against the wrong behaviours that can lead to poor cultures.”
