Liam Thorp

As political and agenda editor of the Liverpool Echo, Liam Thorp is a campaigning journalist whose stories drive real change. 

He was the first to break the news that a local baby hospice, Zoe’s Place, would be closing amid financial problems. The news provoked a huge response and the Echo subsequently partnered with politicians, city leaders, celebrities and the charity to launch a fundraising campaign. Liam led coverage of the campaign, including the exclusive reveal that Liverpool company Home Bargains was donating £2.5m, meaning the hospice would be saved.

Liam has been a key voice in the Echo’s enduring coverage of the Hillsborough disaster and the families’ pursuit for justice, continually holding the government to account over promises to introduce the Hillsborough Law. He was invited to Downing Street with the families on the day the law was laid before Parliament. The Hillsborough Law Now campaign group says: “His commitment to honest journalism and standing up for ordinary people reflects exactly what this law is about: truth, transparency, and accountability in public life.”

Liam has also carried out multiple investigations into homelessness in Liverpool and his work has been shortlisted for the prestigious Orwell Prize for Reporting on Homelessness.

Judges’ comments: “Brilliant campaigning from a journalist who knows and understands his community and gets to the very heart of the issues that matter to them.”