logo
Public ‘sick of cover-ups' at MoD, says Chinook crash campaigner

Public ‘sick of cover-ups' at MoD, says Chinook crash campaigner

Yahoo18-07-2025
Calls for a public inquiry into the 1994 Mull of Kintyre Chinook crash have seen a surge in support in the wake of revelations about the Afghan data leak, with one campaigner saying it shows the public are 'sick of cover-ups and secrecy' at the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
All 29 military and intelligence personnel on board RAF Chinook ZD576 were killed when the aircraft crashed in foggy weather en route from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to Fort George near Inverness on June 2, 1994.
The bereaved families have called for a judge-led inquiry into the incident, which was initially blamed on pilot error before this was overturned in 2011.
A petition calling for an inquiry saw a surge in support last week after campaigners took to social media to criticise efforts to cover up the leak of thousands of names of Afghans who had helped UK troops, which they said was another case of the MoD 'covering up its own mess'.
Chris Cook, whose pilot brother Rick was killed in the 1994 crash, said: 'This Afghan cover-up shows that the MoD hasn't just lost its moral compass but has managed to avoid all democratic accountability and scrutiny.
'It hid this data leak from the very people who are meant to keep it in line – the Intelligence and Security Committee, which had a legal right to see the intelligence assessments.'
He added: 'The MoD has become the Ministry of Deceit. It lies, it obfuscates and it squirrels away its mistakes until it is found out – just as it has with the Chinook crash.
'It took us 16 years to clear my brother's name, and all that time the MoD claimed information didn't exist – until we found it and then they questioned how we got the information.
'The trouble with this whole case over 31 years, and so many other MoD cases – the helicopter cancer cases, the nuclear vets, is that so much information has been suppressed.
'It seems that the Ministry of Deceit is unable to uphold the values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality which they expect our armed forces to serve with.
'It's time for truth and transparency at the MoD and it's time for the Prime Minister to step in and clear up the MoD's many outstanding cases of deception, with a legal duty of candour imposed.'
'This Afghan cover up shows that the Ministry of Defence hasn't just lost its moral compass but has managed to avoid all democratic accountability and scrutiny. Just like the Chinook crash, it has covered up its own mess as usual. The MoD has become the Ministry of Deceit."
— Chinook Justice (@ChinookJustice) July 18, 2025
In a social media post, the Chinook Justice group said: '#Coverup appears to be the mantra of the British state… with the MoD at the centre of it. Again.'
In another it said the petition had got the 'zoomies' as the number of signatories doubled in the space of eight hours to more than 22,000.
Andy Tobias, who was eight when his father Lt Col John Tobias was killed in the crash, said: 'Clearly, we have touched a nerve with the British public who are sick of cover-ups and secrecy at the MoD.
'Like many other families – from Hillsborough to sub-postmasters, the infected blood scandal to nuclear veterans and MoD helicopter cancer victims, and now Afghan families – we should not have to fight tooth and nail for truth, transparency and justice from the Government.
'That's why we are calling for a legal duty of candour. Enough is enough.'
Following an appeal by Mr Tobias, former defence secretary Sir Liam Fox has agreed to meet the bereaved families to discuss the matter.
The news comes on the back of the former minister's offer to intervene on their behalf with the MoD and 'if necessary' the Prime Minister to push for an inquiry, as reported in the Daily Mail newspaper.
The MoD has been approached for comment.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'Total Mental Collapse': Trump Ripped After 'Insane' New Ramble In Europe
'Total Mental Collapse': Trump Ripped After 'Insane' New Ramble In Europe

Yahoo

time7 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

'Total Mental Collapse': Trump Ripped After 'Insane' New Ramble In Europe

President Donald Trump spent part of his weekend in Scotland reviving his old grievances against wind power, even claiming at one point that it was 'killing' Americans. During a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Trump abruptly detoured from immigration to wind turbines. 'And the other thing I say to Europe: We will not allow a windmill to be built in the United States,' Trump said. 'They're killing us.' He added: 'They're killing the beauty of our scenery, our valleys, our beautiful plains ― and I'm not talking about airplanes. I'm talking about beautiful plains, beautiful areas in the United States, and you look up and you see windmills all over the place. It's a horrible thing. It's the most expensive form of energy. It's no good. They're made in China, almost all of them.' He complained that wind turbines 'rust and rot in eight years,' and then can't be 'buried' because they will harm the soil. 'The whole thing is a con job,' he said. 'It's very expensive. And in all fairness, Germany tried it and wind doesn't work.' Much of what the president said was wildly inaccurate: Germany gets more than a quarter of its energy from wind, turbines last about 30 years (not eight) according to the U.S Department of Energy, it's not the most expensive form of energy, and they're not 'almost all' made in China. Several users asked Grok, the AI tool within X, to fact-check Trump's claims on wind power. Here's a typical response: Trump, who has frequently attacked renewable energy, has a special hatred of wind power that likely began some two decades ago, when an offshore wind farm was proposed near the land that would become his golf resort in Scotland. He sued to block it, lost, and has complained about wind and other forms of renewable energy since. He mentioned that on Sunday as well. 'Today I'm playing the best course I think in the world, Turnberry ― even though I own it ― it's probably the best course in the world, right?' he said. 'And I look over the horizon and I see nine windmills... I said, 'Isn't that a shame? What a shame.'' Trump has previously taken his anti-wind stance to absurd extremes, such as in 2019, when he falsely claimed wind turbines cause cancer. 'The wind, the wind, it sounds so wonderful,' he said last year. 'The wind, the wind, the wind is, the wind is bullshit, I'll tell you.' Trump's critics called him out for his latest out-of-the-blue tirade against wind energy:

UK in 'debt doom loop', top investor Dalio warns
UK in 'debt doom loop', top investor Dalio warns

Yahoo

time7 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

UK in 'debt doom loop', top investor Dalio warns

One of of the world's most successful investors has warned that the UK is stuck in a "debt doom loop". Hedge fund manager Ray Dalio, who founded Bridgewater Associates, was speaking as UK debt as a percentage of GDP (gross domestic product) rose to 101%. Long-term borrowing costs are higher than they have been at any point this century, giving the Chancellor Rachel Reeves little room to borrow more to fund spending, and thus requiring a focus on raising taxes instead. Mr Dalio told the 'Master Investor' Podcast with Wilfred Frost she risked alienating the very people who could help get the country out of its fiscal bind - mirroring concerns expressed by the boss of Goldman Sachs last week. Money latest: "The debt doom loop is affecting capital flows. So the necessity for creating taxations that then drive people away. "As the financial problems and the social problems worsen, having the effect of causing people with money to leave. "That's a problem because, I don't know the exact numbers in the UK, but they're analogous to the US, where 75 % of income taxes are paid by the top 10%. "So you have this financial deterioration, that precedes social and economic deterioration that has caused migrations all around the world and so on. And there is only one way to deal with that. Both of our countries need a strong leadership of a strong middle. They have to have the war between those of the left and those of the right begin to end because difficult choices are going to have to be made, you know, like our countries had in World War II. "The deficits for the central government, have to be lowered to about 3 % of GDP. That is what would be sustainable rather than having this compounding effect." The UK deficit is currently 5.1% of GDP, while in the US it is 6%. "They have to do it equally in spending cuts and taxation. And if that is done interest rates will come down not rise." Dalio outlines the process around the debt cycle in his new book How Countries Go Broke. And while many people are broadly aware of the debt problems advanced nations now face, he said that bond markets are complacent to the looming risks. "You get this complacency. So now the question for you or for your audience is, is it priced into the markets? Well, I'll answer the question and say, no, it is not priced into the markets." is available across multiple podcast platforms

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store