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Hello and welcome to Spectator Outloud. Every week, a few of our favourite writers read out

their piece for you from the latest issue. This episode, we're going to be joined by

Crystal QC, who writes about the blame game that surrounds the Hillsborough disaster, and why

now is the time to move on. Then, Lionel Shriver, who suggests that on Scottish nationalism,

we should just give the nationalists what they want and watch chaos unfold. And finally, Sam Sam Russell, our new podcast producer who's joined the team, and he writes about

how book lovers are turning TikTok into a book club.

First, it's Crystal Kesey.

Eight years ago, I was instructed as leading council for two South Yorkshire police officers

who had overseen the force's evidence

gathering in response to the Hillsborough Stadium disaster. They were accused of trying to minimise

the blame placed on the police by amending witness statements. It has been the longest and most

challenging assignment of my 27-year career, with the weight of public and media opinion

pitted heavily against us. Finally, last week, the only one of my two clients to be criminally

charged, 83-year-old retired Chief Superintendent Donald Denton, was cleared, alongside a 74-year-old

retired detective inspector and the former police solicitor.

It was a just outcome that demonstrated judicial integrity and independence at its best.

I have been a lifelong Liverpool fan and was a season ticket holder for years.

I was not at the fateful semi-final in Sheffield on the 15th of April 1989,

in which 96 innocent people died. But I had a standing ticket for the F.A. Cup final at Wembley

between Liverpool and Everton, just a few weeks after the disaster. The case was very close to

home for me. That's why, before taking on the case, like most people, I had certain preconceptions.

...