Security minister Dan Jarvis said on Thursday while he had deep sympathy with the families, “after careful consideration” the government would not commit to an inquiry.
In a statement, Jarvis said it was the government’s “firm belief” the existing Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) could effectively investigate.
The ICRIR is a body established to look into deaths during Northern Ireland’s decades-long conflict, known as The Troubles.
Mr Bridgewater said the ICRIR was not fit for the purpose of those killed in the Birmingham bombings and he felt the families were being pushed into a commission that won’t benefit them.
“For years they’ve [the government] lied to us and said there were no documents but now they’re saying we can find stuff out and want us to go into this comission to get the truth.
“The only way we’ll be able to find the full truth is through a public inquiry,” he said.
MP for Hodge Hill Liam Byrne described the government’s decision as “deeply disappointing”.
“They’re asking for nothing more than for truth and for justice after so many let downs over five decades.
“This is the largest unsolved mass murder in Britain, and no one has been brought to justice, not least because of multiple failures of the state,” he said.
