The Prime Minister has ignored requests to meet victims, even as the scandal is reported to the police
Nuclear veterans have accused the government of “ghosting” them after the Prime Minister ignored requests to hear about the Nuked Blood Scandal.
In Opposition, Keir Starmer was the first party leader to meet survivors of the Cold War bomb tests, and told them: “The country owes you a huge debt of honour. Your campaign is our campaign.”
In 2022 his shadow cabinet demanded compensation from the Tories, but Labour support withered after hard evidence emerged troops were deliberately exposed to radiation while being monitored by weapon scientists.
The Mirror ’s investigation has since uncovered evidence thousands of men from all three armed forces were subject to blood tests for more than a decade, and the results are now missing from medical files. Commonwealth troops and indigenous people were also monitored.
Campaign group Labrats wrote to the PM last July, requesting a meeting to find a cheap and rapid route to justice for the 2,000 veterans still alive and who have an average age of 86, but 316 days later have still received no reply.
In the meantime a £5bn civil lawsuit has been launched and a complaint of criminal misconduct in public office lodged with the Metropolitan Police, which is now being assessed. Both could lead to years of expensive court action.
Steve Purse, whose dad was at a series of toxic plutonium experiments in the Australian Outback in 1963 and was later born with never-before-seen genetic conditions, was one of those who won the PM’s support in Opposition.
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He said: “Now we have seen details of the Strategic Defence Review which sees the UK repurpose its nuclear deterrent from defensive to offensive, why doesn’t the government honour those brave servicemen who gave us 70 years of nuclear protection?
“I met the PM and Defence Secretary, and we talked, and I believed they were the right people to help us achieve justice. Now, they’re ghosting us. I’d say to them ‘do the right thing, I’ll come to London any time to meet you and discuss it.”
It comes as a video detailing Labour’s broken Opposition promises to the veterans has gone viral on social media, gathering 1.3million views and showing deputy PM Angela Rayner and Mr Healey demanding compensation. Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard is also seen, as shadow minister, saying it was “really dumb” for the Tories not to have paid out.
Cabinet minister says treatment of nuclear veterans is a ‘national shame’
Labrats founder Alan Owen said: “It’s ridiculous that a government facing long and expensive legal cases that would make it look very bad is being offered the chance of a cheap, quick fix that would cover them in glory, in under a year, and they don’t want to hear what it is.
“The veterans have no wish to bankrupt the MoD at a critical time for defence spending, but this government should not wield the nuclear deterrent without remembering what happened to the troops that created it.”
A spokesman for the MoD said that since entering power, Labour had widened the nuclear medal criteria and launched an archives review.
“The government is committed to working with veterans and listening to their concerns,” he said.
“Defence Ministers and officials remain committed to engaging with veterans’ groups on this important matter and have already met with Labrats and other veterans’ group since coming into office.”
