A nuclear test veteran has called on Sir Keir Starmer to apologise for delaying a key meeting to discuss compensation, declaring they are “still suffering” today.
Speaking to GB News, nuclear test veteran Terry Hughes said he was “very disappointed” in the Prime Minister for failing to meet with them, despite promising a meeting “by the end of the year” before winning 2024’s General Election.
Premiering his new documentary on the nuclear test veterans, Cinematographer Daniel Everitt-Lock invited the Prime Minister to attend, but he denied the invitation.
Discussing the PM’s refusal to attend, founder of Labrats International Alan Owen told GB News that there was “no one from the Cabinet” in attendance.
Nuclear Test Veteran Terry Hughes has called on Sir Keir Starmer to apologise for refusing a meeting with the victims
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GB NEWS
As host Andrew Pierce argued that “successive Governments have wanted to let this slip under the radar”, Mr Owen agreed, explaining: “Delay, deny until they die is the statement that these guys live with, because we invited Keir Starmer to the event, and he unfortunately denied and said, ‘no, I’m sorry, I’m too busy to come and see it’.
“We asked John Healey, who unfortunately was away in Norway, but we had a couple of MPs who have supported us for a long time, Emma Lowell and Rebecca Long-Bailey came, and they’ve been supporters of us for a long time.
“But unfortunately there was nobody from the Cabinet, absolutely nobody would attend, and that’s the attitude that we are up against.”
Revealing that he pressed Sir Keir for a meeting with the veterans just this week, he added: “I actually met Keir on Monday at a remembrance event at No10 Downing Street and said ‘we need this meeting’, and he’s like, ‘yes, it’s in process, the meeting is in process’, but that’s it, that’s as far as it goes.”
Delivering his verdict on the Government’s refusal to meet with the veterans, Mr Hughes said: “I think it’s very disappointing.
“You put your trust to these people, they promise all sorts of things, but it never actually happens.
“The least they could do is apologise. Apologise to the veterans, and apologise to the descendants for all the atrocities that have been happening to them over the years. I’m one of the lucky ones, I’m still here. For how long I’m not sure, but I’m still here.”
A new documentary has been made detailing the suffering endured by the Nuclear Test Veterans
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GB NEWS
Revealing the inspiration behind his new documentary, Mr Everitt-Lock told GB News: “The inspiration really is actually a short doc that I saw about nine years ago that was covering the the atomic veterans, and they talked about the experience of experiencing the bomb.
“And one thing that kind of got me was with this one guy talking about being able to see the X-ray of his hands through his closed eyes, covering his eyes because of how bright the flash is from this weapon, and that kind of visual just stuck with me as something that was just absolutely kind of insane.
“And I remember speaking to family and friends about this, and no one knew about it, and I don’t really understand how this hasn’t been covered more in the media and in documentaries.
“So it kind of became a thing that I wanted to make a documentary about that at some point.”
Detailing his own suffering as a nuclear test veteran, Mr Hughes praised GB News for supporting them as he revealed: “First of all, can I say thank you to GB News for supporting the veterans, you’ve done a great job with that, and we appreciate it.
“But yes, I was only 19 at the time when the biggest H bomb was ever exploded on Christmas Island, and a lot of us have suffered in life. It’s like a hidden bullet just suddenly coming out as we get older.
“And my oldest son is very, very badly affected. So this is very disappointing for me because he can’t have any children, amongst other things he’s got, and I’m still suffering from various skin cancers, other things that have happened. So it’s a bit of a blow to us.”
Mr Owen told GB News that the Government are keen to ‘delay until they die’
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GB NEWS
Admitting he is “hopeful” that they will receive some support in their cause from Defence Secretary John Healey, Mr Owen concluded: “‘I’m hopeful with John Healey, he’s been looking at the missing medical records, and we’re due a review by the end of the year.
“We anticipate from the veterans side there are between 1000 and 1500 worldwide left for the British nuclear testing, out of 22,000.
“And the ones that are left are suffering, they have skin cancers and other issues.”
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence told GB News it has commissioned “comprehensive” work to examine the questions over medical records.
Sir Keir Starmer has promised to meet veterans of Britain’s Cold War nuclear weapons testing programme “hopefully by the end of the year”.