CHANV Bulletin No 6.

Thank you all for your interest and support of nuclear veterans and families campaign for recognition and justice.

In particular cross-party MP’s Rebecca Long-Bailey, Sir John Hayes and others, Susie Boniface of the Daily Mirror campaign which began in 1983, Alan Owen CEO of Labrats International for the ‘ look me in the eye ‘ campaign which to the 40-minute meeting with Prime Minister, Boris Johnson yesterday, 8 June 2022.

The forwarded 7 June 2022 bulletin no. 6 of the combined history archive of nuclear veterans ( CHANV ) is sent for your attention. All known relevant facts of history, not the historic bad faith of MOD officials, will bring the long-running legacy of deception against nuclear test veterans and families to an honourable conclusion after all of this time.

The Prime Minister in today’s 09 June Daily Mirror report by Susie Boniface, after being presented with evidence of the possible crimes committed by the state against its own servicemen: missing medical records, blood samples taken hidden from health archives etc agreed: “ It could amount to a criminal offence committed against veterans .”

As reported in today’s Daily Mirror, the PM added: “ There are things you are not being told and should be told. It’s been hidden away like in Raiders of the Lost Ark, or stuff is stashed in vaults by the British government that needs sorting out.”

The deliberate exclusion of nuclear test veterans and families from recognition and justice is indeed supported by evidence gained over decades by British, Australian and New Zealand veterans who served at UK nuclear test locations in Australia and the Pacific.

All efforts made by those who have campaigned for recognition and justice are in memory of the suffering of all who served during the UK nuclear weapon test experiments from 1952 to 67 and the damage to their children.

The Prime Minister will be doing justice to history and to the reputation of our democracy to settle this long-running injustice after all this time.

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COMBINED HISTORY ARCHIVE OF NUCLEAR VETERANS BULLETIN NO. 6 FOR JUNE 2022

**** SPECIAL PLATINUM JUBILEE YEAR ISSUE ****

WORDS UNDERPINNING THE DEMOCRATIC VALUES EXPECTED BY THE ELECTORATE

WHICH CANNOT BE IGNORED . EXPRESSED IN AN INADVERTENT POLITICAL ATONEMENT READ BY THE PRIME MINISTER ON 3rd JUNE 2022 .

‘ Whatever is true , whatever is honourable, whatever is just ,

whatever is pure , whatever is pleasing , whatever is commendable ,

if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise ,

think about these things .’

This Bible extract from the New Testament’s Philippians 4 : 8, was chosen for Prime Minister Boris Johnson by Buckingham Palace to read at St. Pauls Cathedral during the Platinum Jubilee Service Of Thanksgiving of Friday, 3rd June 2022.

The words speak in praise for Her Majesty the Queen’s 70 years of Dignity, Honour Selflessness and Duty in service to the nation.

They are wisely chosen and well- timed words to reflect upon.

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INTRODUCTION TO THIS ISSUE

CELEBRATION OF HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN’S 70 YEARS OF SOVEREIGN DEDICATION TO DUTY AND SERVICE FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM HAS BEEN A TRIUMPH RECOGNISED BY THE PEOPLE.

A GLORIOUS THANKSGIVING FOR HER MAJESTY’S LEGACY OF UNWAVERING, ETHICS, MORALITY AND EXAMPLE OF DEMOCRATIC VALUES.

CONFIRMATION CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY AND THE DEMOCRATIC FREEDOM IT EMBODIES IS A GIFT FOR ALL TO CHERISH.

THIS BULLETIN ASKS THE QUESTION: WILL RECENTLY EXPOSED POLITICAL DECEPTIONS BE ALLOWED TO PREVAIL?

Please note the views expressed by CHANV in this bulletin are made entirely from historical events and archive facts. They are therefore independent of any ideology or agenda of successive UK politicians or officials.

They have been written in memory of all who served in the UK nuclear weapon tests from 1952 to 67.

This special platinum jubilee CHANV bulletin, for brevity, focuses on THREE parts resulting from a 1955 secret Prime Ministerial edict that has blighted the UK’s reputation as an open and honest democracy for almost seven decades.

That is, a 67-year autocratic political decree ignoring a Medical Research Council report warning of genetic damage to those who served at UK nuclear test locations from 1952 to 1967 and their families.

A decree by Sir Anthony Eden in 1955 when, having read the MRC report as Prime Minister, he stated: “ It is a pity, but it cannot be helped.”

( PART ONE )

Legacy of the Atomic Bomb Recognition for

Atomic Test Survivors International Campaign.

LABRATS INTERNATIONAL’S CAMPAIGN UPDATE.

Labrats International ‘look me in the eye’ campaign initiated by www.labrats.international , founded by Alan Owen FBCS CITP, has made further significant progress since the February Seminar reported in CHANV Bulletin No. 5 of March 2022.

Investigative journalist Susie Boniface, for the Daily Mirror nuclear veteran justice campaign, has reported additional confirmation of the long-running 1955 edict of bad faith used against the nuclear test veterans and families to politically exclude them from any recognition, pension and disability rights and compensation.

Susie Boniface recently reported a 1988 scientific study by the British Medical Journal has been suppressed by successive administrations for 34 years. This adds to the history of suppression and bad faith.

The Daily Mirror has campaigned for nuclear veterans and families since 1983, after finding genetic research, archive documents, and personal accounts which back up nuclear veteran and family claims. This denial of accountability and responsibility happened, in the rush to quickly build the nuclear bomb during the Cold War, and resulted in veterans being used as guinea pigs without adequate personal protective equipment including respirators. In the long history of ignoring truth, other scientific papers have already known to have been diminished, manipulated, suppressed or ignored.

All done to deliberately avoid accountability and responsibility for radiation-induced legacy ill health of those who served, worked and lived at toxic atmospheric radioactive UK nuclear weapon test locations.

The suppressed own government 1988 study by the British Medical Journal ( BMJ ) showed veterans who had attended UK nuclear weapon tests were 3.5 times more likely to die of leukaemia than men who had not attended such a location. This significant elevated health damage has been indicated in numerous other studies using epidemiology from death certificates and also by blood tests showing genetic damage.

High incidence of deaths from leukaemia, induced by gamma radiation and even low dosage of inhaled or ingested fall out, was well known by 1952 after the nuclear bombing of Japan in 1945.

Many nuclear test veterans in fact died in their 30’s from leukaemia within seven years of attending UK nuclear weapon tests. Other serious health legacy from genetic damage, even at low dose exposure to inhaled or ingested fall out, has resulted in premature deaths. Today, atomic test survivors are very few.

Such concealment of data has recently assisted the secretive Ministry of Defence committee of awards ( a government-appointed quango, devoid of any independent view except the governments ) to block the award of a medal of recognition for the few survivors of nuclear test service. Many, many posthumous recipients are also entitled.

The Daily Mirror report is yet another explanation ( for the deliberate suppression of data ) of why pension and disability tribunals of nuclear veterans and families have been ‘kangaroo courts’ of denial for decades.

Open and honest hearings are denied. Claimants are denied access to levels of atmospheric radiation at test locations and radiation levels of individuals have been suppressed. Scientific reports of legacy ill health, premature deaths and genetic damage to persons exposed to ionising radiation hazard have been diminished, manipulated to a bias or they have just blatantly been ignored.

Rebecca Long-Bailey, a senior MP on Labour Party benches, referring to the suppressed 1988 BMJ Study, is reported to have drawn gasps from members of parliament in the House of Commons when she stated :

“ There’s now concern that the High Court ( i.e. during the Atomic Veterans Group Litigation from 2005 to 2014 ) and this house may have been inadvertently misinformed in 2008 when told that only 159 men in UK nuclear weapon tests were exposed to dangerous radiation, when data shows exposure numbers were actually 2,314.”

Combined service archive documents, held by nuclear veterans past and surviving, show British, Australian and New Zealand servicemen who participated in the UK test experiments have not been ‘inadvertently misinformed’ by officials who brief Ministers. The misinformation has been deliberate and underpinned by the autocratic ‘might is right’1955 Prime Ministerial edict.

Rebecca Long–Bailey MP in May 2022 added the following question to the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson :

“ Will he urgently investigate this and arrange to meet personally in Downing Street ....to bring an end to this national scandal .”

The PM thanked her for “ bringing those facts, those new facts, to the attention of the house.” He pledged a “ proper meeting...able to discuss the issues that she raised. “

Shadow Veterans Minister Steph Peacock informed the Mirror’s news agenda podcast :

“ We need the government to ‘look them in the eye’, to meet the test veterans. We just need to keep putting the government under pressure. I think their position has changed slightly .”

The veteran’s position, with the addition of the 1988 study suppression added to already known other ‘ inadvertent misinformation ‘ has in fact added to an already significant betrayal of trust.

Cross-party support is now very strong. It has been thus for years in many back-bench MP’s until they became a Minister. At this time they are expected to ignore ‘ inadvertent misinformation’ as being only ‘a pity, but it cannot be helped .’

Radical change in UK government ethics is needed to reverse the long-established nuclear veteran policy of scandal and betrayal. Recently in the House of Commons well respected Conservative MP Sir John Hayes also asked the Prime Minister Boris Johnson :

“ Will he now assure the House that he will take personal charge of the decision on whether to grant the remaining servicemen, for there are few left, the service medal they so richly deserve .”

( Sir John was speaking on behalf of his constituent, ex- RN nuclear test veteran Doug Hern who lost his genetically damaged daughter at the age of 13 when he told the House of Commons; “ They’ve lived with the consequences of service to the nation ever since .” )

The PM replied :

“ I thank my Right Honourable friend very much, and I thank him for campaigning on this issue, which I know attracts support across the House. And I certainly will take personal charge of the matter myself, and make sure they receive the recognition they deserve .”

The question is will the Prime Minister live up to his promise or, like other Prime Ministers before him, will he surrender to the siren voices of the civil service bureaucratic deliberate misinformation who have enforced policy against nuclear veterans since the 1955 Prime Ministerial edict: “ It is a pity, but it cannot be helped .” ?

Will truth and facts prevail against 67 years of autocratic lies and undemocratic suppression of scientific facts?

We nuclear veterans do not care whether it is the officials or senior politicians who are at blame. We do however care that our reputation as democracy needs redeeming and this needs to be redressed at Prime Ministerial level.

( PART TWO )

AN OVERVIEW OF OTHER HISTORY OF DENIAL.

History shows bad faith and autocratic ‘ might is right’ collective denial of culpability by those in political power regarding nuclear veteran policy is well entrenched. As noted in (1) above, since the UK Prime Ministerial edict of 1955 by Sir Anthony Eden, collective departmental denial of culpability has been further politically enforced.

On 10 December 1993, by the signing of a bi-lateral UK/Australia treaty both nations who took part autocratically agreed to work together and exchange information to avoid any pensions and/or compensation being awarded to armed forces personnel who served at UK bomb test locations. Both nations have achieved this by ignoring scientific reports and by supressing the truth.

Nuclear veterans have known for years the definitive eminent physicists and biologists 1956 Medical Research Council report, passed to the Prime Minister in 1955, warned of genetic damage in nuclear test location participants. This resulted in the national disgrace of being dismissed autocratically ‘as a pity, but it cannot be helped’.

This self-imposed disgrace has been compounded by the fact that nuclear veterans and families seeking information for pension and disability tribunals have been denied cytogenetic blood tests and access to individual radiation dose levels and levels of atmospheric fall out. Persistent veterans and others seeking information by way of the Freedom of Information act have been labelled a ‘vexation’ by officials blocking access to the truth.

( PART THREE )

BREAKING THE MINISTERIAL CODE.

LESSONS TO BE LEARNT FROM DUTY AND SERVICE.

The current Prime Minister’s indefensible breaking of laws imposed upon all citizens during the covid pandemic and lying about it is a tragedy. It appears to be an inheritance from a past history of complacency and a ‘couldn’t care less attitude’ to democratic values. There can be no excuse.

A shift from open and honest accountable democracy to autocratic rule – one law for the whole electorate and one law for those who govern – is well below the standards followed by our sovereign majesty the Queen for her long dedicated 70 years as Head of State.

Those who follow the path of autocratic rule, often for their own various and often extreme left or right political agendas, place all of the electorate in jeopardy. The Prime Minister’s stance recently ignoring the Ministerial Code is undermining the privilege of power in government invested in them by the electorate.

Breaking the evolved Ministerial Code’s checks and balances; deliberately misleading MPs by supressing the truth is grounds for resignation of any Prime Minister of whichever shade of ideology or political party he leads. Apathy and complacency appears to have become the enemy of truth and therefore the enemy of democracy.

All our freedom, gained by the sacrifice and hardship of previous generations, appear to becoming eroded and held in contempt. Without a continued contract of ethics between those in political power and the public, we are greatly diminished as a democracy. Without trust, we are weakened in an increasingly dangerous world of despots and other autocratic regimes.

We can however take pride in a monarchical constitution evolved since the Tudor dynasty of the 16th century. The UK’s Head of State is thankfully a direct contrast to other nations’ evolved histories. Russia’s Romanovs ruled with brutality for 300 years until 1917. However, the yoke of autocracy continued with Stalin, Hitler to Putin’s current outrageous war against Ukraine.

Nations without a benign monarchical constitution and democratic parliament are failing ideologies. The United Kingdom, without the influence of autocracy, has the power for the better good for the world.

A position we abandon at peril. However, since the publication of a possibly watered-down Sue Gray report the Prime Minister is reported to have made changes to the Ministerial Code. Changes which appear to weaken further the safe-guarding strength of democracy. It appears this is being done in the self-interest of the PM.

History shows once democracy is compromised in this manner any future Prime Minister of any political party extremely left or right is enabled to force policy through which may not serve the interests of the nation or the electorate.

Autocratic leadership once established is very difficult to dislodge. The Ukrainians understand this perhaps far more than others in democratic nations of the West. They have now experienced freedom for 30 years and are well aware of what life under the autocratic Romanov/Soviet Union rule of the new Russian Tsar would bring to their lives.

Boris Johnson, whilst showing recent autocratic tendency in his own self-interest, has however redeemed himself by his steadfast support for the Ukrainians. But any Prime Minister could follow this policy since it is in our national interest and in the Interests of the whole of Europe. But adhering to the truth in all matters is vital for trust.

Rather than being further weakened, the Ministerial Code should be strengthened. Trust underpins democracy. Unless upheld, what other changes will follow his recent erosion of our democratic values regarding the truth and ethics? It does not bode well :

Censorship of investigative journalism and the press?

Increase in government-appointed quango committees to rubber-stamp government policy?

The end to freedom of expression and an increase in ‘cancel culture ?

Censorship of data even for access by historians?

The above autocratic actions are already taking place. Academics and the public being ‘cancelled’ for even attempting to debate the truth.

The policy intent of any Prime Minister may be watered down by politicised senior civil servants who have enforced policy decisions over many decades.

It has been said that a fish is said to rot from the head downwards. In politics, it has been shown to work both ways between political heads and senior civil service heads. This rot in our governance has gained particular momentum since the 1990’s. This is briefly shown by the following :

New Labour under PM Tony Blair’s administration lied to MP’s about the reasons for the invasion of Iraq. He politicised the Civil Service. He used social engineering, devolved government and led changes in human rights laws. All of which gave profit to the few but has continued to cause headaches for the many.

PM David Cameron continued the downward spiral inherited from Blair. An admirer of the EU model of devolved power of unelected bureaucrats in Brussels. Directives by elitists and plutocrats without proper democratic debate led to sclerosis. His premiership predictably ended in failure.

Cameron in 2009 initiated a stunt to make himself more electable in the 2010 general election. He pledged, if becoming Prime Minister, to ‘enshrine into law’ a Military Covenant to strengthen accountability and responsibility for veterans affairs. ( i.e. An obligation between those who govern and those who serve .)

On the advice of senior MOD officials, this was reneged upon as soon as David Cameron became PM in 2010. This was noted to happen because the launch document, for his vote gaining MCC initiative, had stated in the small print any decisions made would only be permitted ‘within existing MOD budgets .’

Today’s inherited autocratic tendency appears due to forty years of having our sovereign independent status subjected to EU directives. After this period, recognised only as a designated zone of the European Union, we are left with much needing to be done. This is common sense to most of the electorate. Having escaped the madness of EU autocratic rule to then become a similar state of our own is not a legacy we should be following.

History shows other forms of suppression from the 1990’s. Archive records of nuclear veterans reveal ‘any help to nuclear veterans’ was officially regarded as ‘an unfriendly act ‘ in 1999 by the UK government.

This negative policy attitude followed the 10 December 1993 bi-lateral Treaty between the UK and Australian governments to deny any recognition, accountability or compensation to armed forces personnel who served at nuclear weapon test locations. A mutual treaty of benefit between the nation ( UK ) who built the weapons and the nation ( Australia ) that supplied the uranium. Both of whom gained great prestige, power and profit but needed a treaty to jointly deny accountability and responsibility for the genetically damaged veterans.

Not all democratic nations have adopted the same autocratic control against its nuclear weapon test participants. Truths like this in history show the true credentials of a nation’s democratic standing.

For example, New Zealand was not a signatory of the UK/Australia Treaty. They ignored the Treaty and independently became the first country to openly, independent of UK Ministry of Defence control, cytogenetically blood test their nuclear veterans for genetic damage ( i.e. translocated chromosomes in their DNA ) and published a peer-reviewed report in 2009. This study showed NZ servicemen who had attended UK nuclear tests in the Pacific in 1958 had three times more genetic damage than men of similar age and lifestyle habits who had NOT attended a UK bomb test location.

The UK MoD autocratically ignored the findings and therefore ignored any accountability and responsibility. However the Chairman of the NZ Nuclear Test Veterans Association, Roy Sefton, received the award of the Queens Service Medal from Her Majesty the Queen. The world-leading cytogeneticist, Professor Al Rowland, was awarded the NZ equivalent award to the OBE by HM the Queen for the efficacy of study regarded in the London High Court in 2009 as “ crucial and pivotal evidence of exposure to radiation “.

These high awards of recognition by HM the Queen, incidentally, were not hypocritically blocked by a secret quango committee of Ministry of Defence officials. These awards were rightly recognised as a triumph of independent scientific research and of great value regarding the accuracy of detecting genetic damage in persons exposed to ionising radiation. A diagnostic science deliberately avoided for use in British and Australian nuclear test participants.

A diagnostic science used since the 1960s which could have, and should have, been used on all nuclear test veterans because early detection of exposure could have assisted earlier remedial treatments of conditions from which those who served died prematurely and for those who inherited many serious illnesses and another legacy ill health.

One rule of denial for British and Australian nuclear veterans and one of openness and honesty for NZ nuclear test veterans. It has similarities with the ‘Partygate ‘ one rule for those who govern and one for the public. Both instances in many ways the result of autocracy being used instead of openness towards the truth.

Autocratic rule is a toxic cloud of history.

The 300-year autocratic rule of Russia’s Romanov dynasty lasted until 1917. A brutal dynasty about which world-famous historian Simon Montefiore, in the epilogue of his epic 700-page 2018 book ‘The Romanovs’ ended by writing:

‘The Romanovs are gone but the predicament of Russian autocracy lives on in Putin .’

Can this negative ethos therefore be allowed in the United Kingdom? At the end of World War 2, after the defeat of the brutal autocrat Hitler, any such occurrence was unthinkable. But now?

Watering down the Ministerial Code, as Boris Johnson is doing, to then get into the hands of any extreme socialist, fascist, elitist or plutocratic elected leader is a dangerous downward threat to all our freedoms.

Despite becoming a sovereign self-governing independent state, and having almost entirely thrown off the shackles of the bureaucratic and sclerotic EU we appear, with the current Prime Minister and with the ‘could not care less ‘ legacy from 1955, to becoming less democratic and more autocratic as each day, week and month passes.

CONCLUSION

On 6th June 2022, in a vote of confidence by Conservative MP’s, 211 voted as having confidence for the Prime Minister to remain in office and 148 voted for him to resign. A significant 2 out 5 Conservative MP’s have expressed no confidence in the leadership.

The question is whether the Prime Minister is a genuine democrat or is he an opportunist autocrat who really cares nothing for the truth but only for his own self-interest? He has many talents but appears to be his own worst enemy.

We will all know by the end of this year.

As far as nuclear test veterans are concerned the omens of the Prime Minister’s demise are the result of the 1955 ‘ cannot care less ‘ Prime Ministerial edict. This has been confirmed again very recently.

In 2021 Minister for Veterans Johnny Mercer MP was sacked because he independently followed a point of principle. He later referred to Boris Johnson’s ‘Veterans Pledge’ signed in 2019 when Johnson was running for prime minister.

Abandoning troops to legal action against them is an inheritance from PM Tony Blair’s Good Friday agreement which gave an amnesty for terrorists whilst leaving British servicemen at the mercy of prosecution. Mr Mercer referred to Boris Johnson’s watered down ‘Veterans Pledge’ to not abandon troops facing legal action against them when he said :

“ Perhaps nothing embodies this more than what we are asking our veterans in their 70s and 80s to relive. through endless investigations and inquests into events 50 years ago in Northern Ireland. We have abandoned our people in a way I simply cannot reconcile .”

Historically this former Minister for Veterans could equally have been referring to the betrayal of nuclear weapon test veterans. Of his time in post as Minister for Veterans 2019 -21 regarding the Ministry of Defence departmental attitude towards those who serve the nation he said of the department :

“ It is the most distrustful, awful environment I have ever worked in. It is a cesspit .”

Whatever happens with Boris Johnson's pledge of May 2022 to take “ personal charge of the decision “ to recognise the service given by nuclear veterans to the nation, it does not change the truth that past and surviving nuclear test veterans have been lied to and deliberately denied justice and recognition. It does not change the truth they have been the victims of the suppression of science, manipulation of data and lack of openness and honesty from those who govern.

What is most shocking for veterans is to see in 2022 the same contempt and ethos for the truth is being used against all the electorate.

Those who have lived through the whole seven decades of HM the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee can only hope, for the sake of today’s and future generations, a democracy of benevolence, supported by constitutional monarchy, will prevail rather than a continued political and official downward drift towards autocracy, apathy, anarchy and ultimate chaos.

Support for nuclear veterans campaign for justice and recognition transcends all political parties. Cross-party support for the truth is necessary to prevent democracy from being lost.

Veterans pride, joy and appreciation of the monarchy as an institution is very strong and unbreakable. Her Majesty has made a legacy by her duty to the nation and her steadfast guardianship of the nation’s soul of ethics and morality.

It’s hoped following the 2022 Jubilee Celebration the magnificent example set by our Sovereign Majesty, Queen Elizabeth will be honoured and followed by all MP’s and Civil Servants today, tomorrow and for future years to come.

It is however a shame, the day after the uplifting of our spirits by the Jubilee celebrations, they have quickly been dampened by the reality of our politics.

With apologies for the length of this Bulletin. Events in recent days have not helped.

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Compiled on behalf of CHANV by nuclear veteran Dennis Hayden , author of ‘The UK’s Nuclear Scandal ‘ ( 2021 ) from which some of this Bulletin is extracted .

Content of this email is also extracted from recent assorted press releases, archive documents held by past and surviving veterans who attended UK nuclear weapon test experiments 1952 to 67 and supportive other scientists and academics, the epilogue and content of award-winning Simon Montefiore’s 700-page epic historic ‘The Romanovs” (2018 ), a recent report by Susie Boniface in the Daily Mirror and by Atom Magazine - the Worldwide News for the Atomic Family – May 2022 Issue available from www.labrats.international .

This Bulletin is in support of LABRATS - look me in the eye - recognition for atomic test survivors campaign led by Alan Owen FBCS CITP.

The content of this bulletin may be passed by the recipient to any other person or persons with interest in the true history of Britain’s nuclear weapon test experiments 1952-67.

Suppress the truth and all trust is banished, without trust, we cease to be a democracy and without open and honest democracy there is no hope for the world.

CHANV 07062022/ B.6 .

Dennis Hayden

Nuclear Veteran

Founder of the Combined Veterans’ Forum International ( 2002 )

V Club Associate of Labrats International .

Author of “ The UK’s Nuclear Scandal” ( 2021 - by Amazon ) the true history of the UK nuclear test experiments.