Officials are being called upon to act as whistleblowers and put an end to the longest-standing scandal in British history. Government employees have been advised to utilize the protections offered by the new Hillsborough Law to disclose the truth about radiation experiments on soldiers before the law takes effect.
The plea was made by Mayor Andy Burnham of Greater Manchester at the Labour Party conference, urging all individuals in Whitehall with knowledge of the impact on veterans and their families to speak up using the provisions of the bill. The Mirror has been advocating for veterans who claim to have been used as “guinea pigs” in Cold War nuclear tests for four decades, despite the Ministry of Defence challenging them to provide evidence and engaging in costly legal battles.
In 2023, evidence of a large-scale blood testing program was uncovered, with results kept classified at the Atomic Weapons Establishment. While ministers have now ordered the release of numerous files, inquiries into the reasons for their classification and requests to meet with Keir Starmer have faced obstacles.
During a fringe event, Burnham acknowledged that veterans are in a critical situation facing a potential cover-up, highlighting the risk of a bureaucratic whitewash if a public inquiry is initiated. Nuclear campaigners have proposed a one-year special justice tribunal with controlled costs to uncover the truth and deliver swift justice, given that approximately 2,000 surviving veterans have an average age of 87.
Expressing concerns over delays and lack of commitment, campaigners emphasized the need for concrete actions to address the issue promptly. Burnham warned against repeating past mistakes and stressed the urgency of using the Hillsborough Law to seek justice for nuclear test veterans.