Sadness & Anger

This year has already been a sad year for the Nuclear Community, with three members of our community passing away. Alan Dowson, Pete Peters and David Strange. As always, our thoughts are with the families at this difficult time.

Whilst the world is embroiled in the mess that is UK politics, these families are grieving for their loved ones. Men who did not live to receive the apology that they and their families deserve. Instead, the UK Prime Minister is busy saving his own job.

LABRATS attended the funeral of Alan Dowson, the ex-Mayor of Peterborough, who was an incredible supporter of our cause, laying our first memorial stone in Peterborough and advocating for his colleagues in the council chambers. We were honoured to speak at the civic reception after the service and to remind the world about our community.

When he received his NTV medal, Alan was proud to wear it, recognition at last, but it wasn’t enough; it was just the start. “I think they’ve got to apologise,” he said. “If the British Government can ignore facts, then they will, if they can get away with it. And they have got away with it – so far.”

Squadron leader Pete Peters was part of Operation Bagpipes, and when the medal criteria was extended, he was visited by Al Carns to receive his medal in November 2024.

Peters said: “It’s about bloody time. I’m chuffed to blazes but annoyed it’s taken so long. I shall wear it proudly on behalf of my comrades who didn’t make it this far. Thank you so much to the Mirror and the minister for getting it to me in time.”

It was only due to campaigning by Susie Boniface and LABRATS that the medal criteria was extended to include Pete and his colleagues.

David Strange was the brother of Angela Cooke, whose husband served as a Nuclear Test Veteran. David was the life and soul of the party and attended the All-Tests Reunion with the family, always supporting Angela.

He created brilliant wooden figures, selling them to anyone for Charity. We last met at Mark and Mellissa Elliker's wedding in 2025, and we were looking forward to seeing him at the ATR this year.

These are our community members who will never see justice. They join thousands of others who have waited for numerous governments to acknowledge the damage they have caused our community.

It makes me very angry that some politicians and civil servants have no regard for our community members, no matter how many times we remind them that time is not on our side; they cancel meetings and extend deadlines, make excuses and delay. We have great support from some politicians, who help us immensely, yet No 10 still ignores them.

We were due to have a meeting with the Prime Minister's unit, but it has been cancelled twice, with no new scheduled date. I have today chased Number 10 to re-arrange the meeting.

We are awaiting the records review carried out by the Office for Veterans' Affairs, and we have a meeting on the 13th of February. They are working hard on our behalf, but they have limited resources. The civil servants at the OVA have been fantastic; they have listened and are working with us, despite being a small team.

When the Prime Minister is in trouble, resources seem to be allocated to keeping him in office, and the machine goes into overdrive to protect him. Yet they have never been in overdrive in relation to the Nuclear Test Veterans. We definitely have a two-tier system.

It is 74 years since the first UK detonation, and the community has waited long enough. We need this meeting. Great work is being undertaken by researchers and academics, by Charities and organisations helping the nuclear community, but the Cabinet Office is not doing enough.

The members of our community did their duty when asked; it is time that the Prime Minister did his and arranged this meeting. It was promised months ago, we have discussed the matter with the OVA and Number 10, yet there is still no date. He is still too busy. Busy fighting for his political life, rather than looking after the community that served the country.

You made us a promise, Keir. I was at the meeting with John Morris, Steve Purse and Susie Boniface. Keep that promise. Do not forget these men, do not forget this unique cohort.