MoD accused of 'delaying tactics' over hidden Nuked Blood records
Hidden records about the Nuked Blood scandal are due to be released, but the Ministry of Defence is refusing to answer questions about the contents
Evidence of human radiation experiments by the British government is being withheld from campaigners, despite orders from ministers that it should be released.
The Mirror's Freedom of Information requests to publish details about the medical monitoring of troops during nuclear weapons tests have been rejected, ignored, and refused.
Even MPs in Parliament have been denied answers, despite a criminal complaint and pending £5bn lawsuit. Veterans believe it is a "delaying tactic" by officials to deny accountability for as long as possible.
Alan Owen of campaign group LABRATS said: "Veterans have always known the game plan is delay, deny, until they die. We have proved they hold evidence of these experiments, we have forced them to publish some of it, and even when the minister has instructed them to publish the rest they are fighting a rearguard action to keep a lid on it for as long as possible.
"There is no good reason for it and we are asking the Defence Secretary to intervene."
* You can support the veterans' legal fight HERE
More than 28,000 records relating to the risks of radiation injury are known to be hidden on a database, codenamed Merlin, at the Atomic Weapons Establishment. It is locked as a state secret, on the grounds of national security.
More than 150 of files were published last year after Parliamentary pressure. They contained thousands of pages of evidence about blood testing of British and Commonwealth troops before, during and after they were exposed to radiation at Cold War bomb tests.
The Mirror requested a complete list of all the document titles last December, but the AWE refused to comply on the grounds that "the AWE does not hold a record list of the document titles and dates". Yet all computer databases include an internal structure with a list of file names.
The Mirror requested an internal review which is supposed to be completed within 40 working days. The request was ignored for two months, and in May the AWE said: "An investigation is being carried out, but the response is taking longer than anticipated."
Six weeks later, campaigning Tory MP Sir John Hayes has asked Veterans Minister Al Carns to produce the list and place it in the Library of Parliament. Mr Carns said: "Officials are working at pace to formally transfer the records on the Merlin database to the National Archives, while ensuring that sensitive information is protected... Once transferred, the records will be listed and accessible on TNA's website."
There is no deadline for Merlin to be published, and it is expected to take months to check every document and redact personal data. After they are released, archivists will have to catalogue and tag an estimated 750,000 pages of information before they can be made available online.
Only 10% of the veterans, who have an average age of 87, still survive. The MoD was contacted for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Keir Starmer responds to US bombing of Iran's nuclear sites as he sends warning
Overnight bunker-busting missiles were dropped from American B-2 stealth bombers on number of targets in Iran included their Fordow nuclear site. Keir Starmer has warned Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon - as the US bombed three key nuclear sites in a massive escalation of the Middle East conflict. Overnight bunker-busting missiles were dropped from American B-2 stealth bombers on a number of targets in Iran including their Fordow nuclear site. The attack came despite calls for a diplomatic solution, The Mirror reports. It is understood the UK was involved in the strikes which came after the Prime Minister repeatedly pushed for de-escalation in the Middle East. In a statement on Sunday morning, Mr Starmer said: "Iran's nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security. Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat. 'The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority. We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.' Just days ago Mr Starmer suggested at the G7 summit in Canada the US would not become involved militarily in the conflict between Iran and Israel. "There is nothing the President said that suggests he's about to get involved in this conflict, on the contrary, the G7 statement was about de-escalation," he told reporters on Tuesday. Buisness Secretary also Jonathan Reynolds reiterated the PM's call for a diplomatic solution on Sunday. He told Sky News: "I know people will be waking up this morning, and they'll be worried. They'll want to know what this means. "And I do want to give them reassurance that whilst the British government, the UK has not been involved in these attacks, we have been making extensive preparations for all eventualities, including how we look after British nationals in the region and how we get them out, and the assets we have in the region to protect British infrastructure, British bases, British personnel if we need to do that." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Overnight, Mr Trump posted on Truth Social, saying: "We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. "All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow." Mr Trump also warned the regime in Tehran from retaliating against the US, saying it would be met "with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight". But Iran said the attack would have "everlasting consequences". Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said the country "reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest and people". He added: "The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran's peaceful nuclear installations. "The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behaviour."
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
Keir Starmer reacts to US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites
Keir Starmer reacts to US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites US President Donald Trump ordered the bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites overnight, in a huge escalation of the Middle East crisis British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (Image: Getty Images ) American B-2 stealth bombers executed overnight strikes using bunker-busting missiles, targeting Iran's Fordow nuclear site among others, in spite of worldwide calls for diplomatic resolution. The UK is believed not to be involved in the action, following the Prime Minister's ongoing advocacy for conflict de-escalation. On Sunday morning Keir Starmer issued a statement saying: "Iran's nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security. Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat. "The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority. We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis." In recent remarks at the G7 summit held in Canada, Mr Starmer intimated that military entanglement by the US in the Israel-Iran dispute seemed unlikely. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here "There is nothing the President said that suggests he's about to get involved in this conflict, on the contrary, the G7 statement was about de-escalation," Mr Starmer reported to journalists last Tuesday. Donald Trump communicated via Truth Social post-midnight: "We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan." Everything we know about the bombings here. Article continues below He added: "All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow." He also issued a warning to the Iranian regime, stating that any retaliation would be met "with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight". President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation (Image: Getty Images ) However, Iran vowed that the attack would have severe and long-lasting repercussions. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asserted that the country "reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest and people". Araghchi further stated: "The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran's peaceful nuclear installations." He continued: "The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behaviour." Article continues below
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'Trump's reckless lurch towards war puts UK in the firing line'
For years, Donald Trump told the American people - and the world - that he was different. That he wasn't like the warmongering presidents before him. That under his watch, the mistakes of Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan would never be repeated. 'Wars would never have started if I had been president,' he bragged time and again. Now, with the dust still rising from the bomb craters left by American B-2 bombers over Iran, it's clear: that too was just another Trumpian lie. Last night, the US leader ordered airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, using deep-penetrating 30,000lb bunker-busting munitions to inflict maximum destruction. The move was taken without congressional approval. It came without debate, without explanation, and in direct contradiction to the very campaign promise that helped put him back in the White House: to avoid reckless foreign entanglements. And perhaps most damningly, it flew in the face of public opinion. In recent days, multiple polls showed a clear majority of the American public, including a majority of Trump's own MAGA supporters, opposed military action against Iran. Americans, scarred by the ghosts of past misadventures, did not want another war. Trump knew this. He ignored them anyway. He wasn't just convinced to strike; he was willingly pulled in by Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu. Their personal bond - part political alliance, part mutual admiration society - overrode strategic judgment. Trump didn't just act because he believed in the threat; he acted because his friend Bibi wanted him to. For decades, Netanyahu has insisted Iran was on the verge of acquiring a nuclear weapon. Since the mid-1990s, 'weeks away' has been his rallying cry. Yet presidents from Clinton to Obama, from Bush to Biden, resisted being drawn into direct conflict. They questioned the intelligence. They prioritised diplomacy. They knew war with Iran could unleash forces they couldn't control. So what makes this moment even more dangerous is the brazen hypocrisy displayed by Trump. The US leader spent the better part of a decade presenting himself as the anti-war candidate. He vilified the architects of Iraq, mocked NATO, and promised to end the 'forever wars.' His 2024 campaign leaned heavily on that promise. His supporters believed him. Now they, like the rest of the world, are left to reckon with the truth: Trump was lying. Again. And once more, Britain is being dragged into the fallout of a war it did not start and may not want. As one of America's closest allies, we are now faced with a grim and familiar choice: do we blindly follow Washington into another potential quagmire, or do we finally draw a line and put British interests, and British lives, first? There is no easy answer. Iran has already vowed to retaliate. Its network of militias and regional proxies extends across the Middle East. British troops served alongside Americans in Iraq, Syria, and the Gulf. Our ships patrol the same waters. Our intelligence services are tightly bound to theirs. But this is no longer a distant threat. It is immediate. And it didn't have to happen. Trump had options. He was urged by advisers inside and outside the White House to hold back. Some argued that the US could support Israel through intelligence sharing and non-lethal means. They warned that striking Iran directly could pull America (and its allies) into an open-ended war with no clear objective and no public mandate. Trump dismissed them. Worse, he acted with his goon squad, circumventing Congress, silencing dissent, and pursuing a path that looks more like personal vengeance than national security. For Britain, the question is urgent: How much longer can we afford to tie ourselves to a man who governs by whim, not wisdom? Who says one thing on the campaign trail and does the exact opposite in office? We've followed America into too many disasters already. Do we really want Iran to be next? What must happen now is this: Parliament must urgently debate our position. There must be no quiet complicity, no unspoken assent. If we are to support this action - or not - it must be done transparently and with full public scrutiny. The American people, those who voted for peace, not war, must hold their president to account. Trump has broken faith with his supporters and with the world. If this war expands, if lives are lost, if allies are drawn in, he must bear the blame. Trump once insisted that he, and he alone, could keep America out of war. With last night's reckless strike, he has proved the opposite. And once again, Britain is left standing at the crossroads of loyalty and self-preservation, wondering how much longer we can afford to follow a leader who cannot be trusted to tell the truth, much less keep a promise.
