The #lookmeintheeye campaign made history on the 8th June 2022 when the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson became the first PM to meet with nuclear test veteran representatives and listen to their stories.
The campaign has received huge support across the political parties. The PM kept his word after Rebecca Long-Bailey MP asked for a meeting at PMQ's in November.
The meeting was re-arranged after the initial meeting was cancelled at the last minute due to the publication of the Sue Gray report, which was a disappointment to the representatives, many of which who had already travelled to London.
The new meeting was re-arranged very quickly by the Prime Ministers' office, we then received the news on Monday that the PM would be subject to a confidence vote. We waited for the outcome and confirmation for the meeting, which we received on the 7th of June, and we were good to go. The representatives started their journeys from across the UK.
The official guest list was sent out by No 10 for the new meeting:
Attendees:
Sir John Hayes
Rebecca Long-Bailey
Alan Owen
Laura Jackson
Steve Purse
Jacqueline Purse
Laura Morris
John Morris
Susie Boniface
No10/Government
Prime Minister
Leo Docherty, Minister for Defence People and Veterans
Jessie Owen, Office for Veterans Affairs
2 private secretaries to the PM
A representative for the Office for Veterans Affairs
Press Officer
No10 Photographer
These people were making history at the first-ever official meeting of nuclear veterans and the Prime Minister. The meeting was organised by Rebecca Long-Baily who had invited Sir John Hayes to the meeting as he has long been a campaigner for the nuclear veterans and supports medallic recognition for the veterans, including asking the PM to take personal responsibility for the matter at PMQ's.
We attended Prime Ministers' Questions as guests in the Speakers Gallery and listened to the debate eagerly awaiting the meeting.
We were met and escorted to the Prime Ministers' private office in the House of Commons, where he met and shook hands with every one of us.
Listening to the stories of John Morris, Laura Morris, Steve Purse, Jacqueline Purse, Laura Jackson, and Alan Owen the PM was shocked to hear the trauma of the tests and how it has affected the servicemen and their families.
Representatives of the Office for Veterans Affairs and the Minister for Defence People and Veterans Leo Docherty listened to the testimonies and the evidence.
The PM said 'I have never been educated about this', if the testing program is not taught at Eton, arguably the top school in the country, then the education on nuclear testing has failed. It needs to be added to the curriculum. It is a disgrace that the nuclear testing program has not been taught to generations of children.
During the meeting, the PM was presented with the New Zealand Nuclear Test Veterans medal, which was agreed by Her Majesty the Queen. The PM was shocked to hear that the UK had not formally recognised the veterans and that we are the last testing country to do so, especially as the Isle of Man had done so, compensating their nuclear veterans.
We had 30 minutes scheduled, many rehearsals had taken place, lots of hours preparing for the meeting by the working group, many meetings beforehand, and a lot of organisation to get to this stage.
It was never about just a medal, at the meeting we discussed medallic recognition but also medical research for the descendants, education, opening up documents, providing medical records for the veterans, and a national day this year marking the 70-year anniversary.
The PM gave us 40 minutes of his time, which we are extremely grateful for, he has stood by his promise to meet with us and look us in the eye. John Morris who was present at Operation Grapple said to the PM "You have looked me in the eye, you can now tell me that I am worthy of recognition or tell me to sod off."
Sir John Hayes re-iterated that a previous PM had awarded a medal to the Arctic Convoys and urged him to do the same, stating that it is the right thing to do.
Watch the video diary of the meeting below:
Conclusion
We continue the pressure with the campaign with support from all political parties, we have given the PM a deadline of the 3rd October 2022, the 70th anniversary of Operation Hurricane, the first British Detonation. We requested a ceremony to mark this anniversary, at which the 70 years of denial can end.
It is now in the hands of the Prime Minister, he alone can make this happen, he has already sat and listened, kept his promise, now he needs to act and end 70 years of injustice.
We would like to thank everyone involved in the campaign who has supported us, especially Susie Boniface and the Daily Mirror, whose support had never wavered. Rebecca Long-Bailey and her team, Stephanie Peacock and her team, John Healey, Sir Keir Starmer, Sir John Hayes, Andy Burnham, Steve Rotheram, numerous organisations, other MP's, Al Murray (The Pub Landlord), Mark Steel, and Rory Bremner who started this campaign. You have all been fantastic, to get to this stage in a little under 14 months is incredible.
There are some veterans and families who do not want a medal, and we understand that, but the campaign is much more than that, join us and you will see. It is about recognition, ending 70 years of injustice. We also encourage any organisation to contact us to join the campaign and ensure that we are successful in this 70th year.
We are not finished, the campaign was to get the PM to look us in the eye and he has kept to his word. We will wait and see if he becomes the first PM to end 70 years of injustice.
We are all very grateful to the PM for his time and for arranging this meeting with us. Read more in Susie Boniface's piece, online at the Daily Mirror: