Page 719 - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Coverage Book 2023-24

Iain Dale has hit back at a Liverpool venue after an upcoming show was
cancelled amid a wave of complaints from locals.

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The Liverpool Philharmonic Hall axed an event with the broadcaster, who

often appears as a guest on Good Morning Britain, Labour MP Lisa Nandy

and Jacqui Smith following backlash over his role in publishing a controversial
book related to the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, which saw 97 Liverpool

fans die as a result of a crush at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough

Stadium.

Writing on his website regarding the cancellation, Dale said on Saturday,
"Essentially, Lisa Nandy, Jacqui Smith and I have been cancelled" and

accused the Philharmonic of being "cowed by a couple of Twitter trolls" and

"giving in to the mob at the first sign of trouble".

Confirming the show's cancellation, the Liverpool venue cited that Dale's
show was "inappropriate due to local sensitivities", which was part of his tour

based on his LBC podcast For The Many. The decision came after survivors of

the Hillsborough disaster expressed outrage, branding it "unacceptable"
because of Dale's involvement in the 2016 release of Sir Norman Bettison's

memoirs.

Bettison faced allegations of attempting to shift blame onto Liverpool fans for

the 1989 tragedy that claimed the lives of 97 supporters. In 2016, an inquest

jury cleared Liverpool football fans of any responsibility for the disaster,
pointing the finger at police errors, flawed stadium design and slow

ambulance service response.

In 2018, charges against Bettison were dropped; he had been accused of

spreading falsehoods about the "culpability of fans" and his actions post-
disaster. The prosecution admitted to a lack of evidence and no substantial