‘I have all through the years been shelving my emotions because I needed to’
Campaigning mum Figen Murray admitted she allowed herself to get emotional and shed a tear after counter-terrorism legislation in her son Martyn Hett’s name finally became law.
Figen – who, backed by the Manchester Evening News, has been calling for security changes at venues to protect the public for six long years – was in the House of Commons to hear the speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, confirm just after 11am on Thursday (April 3) that the King had signified Royal Assent for the Martyn’s Law Bill.
It is now the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 – Martyn’s lasting legacy. There will be a two-year period of implementation before the Act comes into force.
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) will be the regulator for the legislation, which will compel public venues where 200 to 799 people can gather to implement plans to keep people safe in the event of a terror attack happening at, or near, the location.
They could include evacuation and lockdown plans, together with other emergency procedures.
Places and venues with a capacity of 800 or more, will have to take measures to stop terror attacks from happening in the first place, such as having CCTV systems, bag search policies or carrying out vehicle checks where appropriate.
It will apply to stadiums, nightclubs, hotels and more.
Figen was inspired to launch the drive for a new law after her bag and tickets weren’t checked at a venue in Greater Manchester she attended in the years following the Manchester Arena bombing of 2017, in which 22 innocent lives including Martyn’s were lost after a gig by Ariana Grande in the May.
“It was at 11.10am – finally,” she said of the Royal Ascent confirmation. “What a moment – after six years. We’re finally there and it’s great.
“I want to say thank you – it is a huge relief that this is now an Act of Parliament. It’s been six years of doing this, absorbing at the same time all the frustrations and the setbacks for various reasons, and having to pick myself up again and carry on.
“Having said that giving up was never on the menu. I would never have given up. Through determination and maybe bloody-mindedness, it’s been done.”
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“Whilst nothing can bring Martyn back, this much needed law will secure his legacy and help to prevent more families enduring the pain and loss that mine, alongside 21 others, have experienced since the Manchester Arena terror attack.”
Manchester has, already, been at the forefront of Martyn’s Law, with many businesses taking on board it’s principles and objectives before they will have to do under the new law.
Figen said awareness was now crucial – and called on the government to help and educate all qualifying venues.
“Collaboration is at the core of Martyn’s Law,” she added. “As we enter the two year implementation period it is essential that everyone plays their part to ensure that businesses and venues across the country can implement the requirements to better protect the public from terrorism.
“Over the implementation period it is vital that the government and Security Industry Authority provide all that is necessary for publicly accessible locations to implement Martyn’s Law.”
Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, hailed a ‘landmark moment’ for event security in the UK as Martyn’s Law was passed. “Figen’s courage and determination in the face of such unimaginable loss is truly humbling and it is thanks to her campaigning that Martyn’s Law means her son’s legacy will live on forever,” the PM said.
Figen met Sir Keir personally at Downing Street on Thursday (April 3). But she told of a brief meeting in Parliament beforehand with security minister, Dan Jarvis.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News Figen admitted she ‘had a moment’.
“I have all through the years been shelving my emotions because I needed to,” she said. “Because I needed to not let emotion get in the way and get over-emotional with the legislation. I have kept them out all these years.”
Figen said she was stood with Mr Jarvis after the Royal Assent announcement showing him photos of Martyn. The much-loved PR manager, from Stockport, was just 29.
“I was showing him the last photo I have of Martyn and me together – that’s when I teared up,” Figen said.
She said at the time the photo was taken, she was looking after Martyn, who was poorly.
“He stayed at our house for a couple of days and I looked after him, then he was absolutely fine again,” Figen said. “I said to Dan Jarvis, I looked after him those couple of days and here we are stood on a stone floor, and Martyn died on a stone floor that night and I couldn’t look after him that night. I got emotional. That’s the first time I actually allowed myself to get emotional.”
Figen thanked all those involved in the campaign – and her family. She also praised PM Sir Keir for ‘keeping his promise’.
Figen said ‘nothing happened’ after former PM Rishi Sunak said he would push through the legislation – resulting in her walking to Downing Street to press home her point.
“On the day we arrived, Sir Keir pulled me to one side and said ‘look, I want to give you my personal promise that if I get elected, I will get this done for you ASAP. I don’t understand why this has taken this long’.
“I thought at the time – ‘yet another promise’ – but things just started to move so quickly through the different stages. It was unbelievable. It was hard to keep up with it. We were back and forth to London. My husband and I attended every single session in the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
“It’s been exhausting, but would I do it again? Absolutely. Because this legislation is necessary. The public deserve to be kept safe and they have the right to do so now, legally. Who’d have thought we would get here? But we are.”
The Act will not come into force for at least two years to allow the Security Industry Authority’s new function to be established and give those responsible sufficient time to understand their new obligations and plan ahead.
The government is expected to set out more details for qualifying venues as part of a public awareness campaign.
