Bloody truth: Rishi Sunak refuses to look for veterans' missing medical records
Rishi Sunak has refused to look into the missing medical records of Britain's nuclear veterans.
Despite promising to back a police investigation into their participation at the atomic weapons trials when he ran for the Tory leadership, the Prime Minister yesterday failed to stand by his words.
Told about the Mirror's revelations that the Ministry of Defence holds at least 150 documents about blood testing of veterans, civilians and indigenous people, he said he couldn't comment.
Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey told him dozens of veterans and families were unable to get copies of their results and asked the PM: "Will he review those documents, report back to the House, and hold a public inquiry into why medical record omissions have happened and on whose instruction?"
Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey tackled the PM on veterans' missing blood recordsSunak replied: "I can't comment on ongoing litigation in respect to requests for health records." He said veterans could make a data protection request to the MoD and there was a complaint process if they were unhappy with the result.
Out of touch Rishi Sunak doesn't regularly read papers or online news sites
There is no litigation underway, although nuclear families who have found their records are missing have launched a crowdfunder to bring a case to the High Court.
* You can donate to the legal fight here
The PM did however take credit for announcing the nuclear test medal last year, following a four-year Mirror campaign. Veterans are beginning to receive them now, although many are furious they have to purchase a £5 pin to enable them to be worn.
Afterwards, Ms Long-Bailey said on Twitter "the PM either doesn't get it, or doesn't want to know". Veterans accused the PM of misleading Parliament about legal action that had yet to begin.
More than 100 have signed up with human rights law firm McCue Jury & Partners, after the Mirror revealed the existence of hundreds of documents about blood and urine testing of troops and others during more than a decade of Cold War radiation experiments.
They felt compelled after Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer said he believed MoD assurances that nothing was being withheld, and said if they wanted anything more they could sue the government.
In 2018, the Ministry of Defence told Parliament it had "no information" about blood tests. Last month, after a series of Freedom of Information requests, it published a list of 150 documents held at the Atomic Weapons Establishment with titles including "blood counts", "blood examinations", and "medical examinations of natives".
The scandal has made headline news in Australia, where Aboriginal peoples still live on land they fear is contaminated by plutonium, uranium and other fallout.
* You can donate to the legal fight here
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