Despite saying the Tories were “really dumb” not to compensate nuclear veterans, Luke Pollard seems to have changed his mind
Luke Pollard shares his thoughts on nuclear veterans deserving compensation
A Labour minister has been accused of turning his back on nuclear veterans after refusing to support compensation for victims of the Nuked Blood Scandal.
Armed Forces minister Luke Pollard – who last year posed for photos with a constituent who had served at the Cold War weapons tests – had said in Opposition it was “really dumb” of the Tories not to provide such a scheme.
But asked about it in Parliament, he now says survivors of the nuclear weapons tests can apply for a ‘no fault’ war pension instead.
For war pension claims, veterans are asked to provide evidence of their radiation dose, which the MoD says in most cases was never taken at the time. Many survivors claim to have been blood-tested at the trials, but say the results are now missing from their medical records. Without such evidence, the war pension approval rate for nuclear veterans is just 1.6%.
Mr Pollard told the Mirror’s News Agenda podcast in 2022: “The veterans’ significant exposure to radiation has also led to consequences for close family members, and their children, and that’s why it seems really dumb that the UK government has been denying not only a medal for their exceptional service 70 years ago, but compensation too.”
He added: “Until those veterans get the recognition and compensation they need, this campaign must continue… The UK unlike many of our allies, has never compensated or recognised the sacrifice of those veterans. Time has run out for many of them who have died without recognition or compensation.”
Veteran Derrick McKay, who saw four nuclear weapons at Christmas Island in the Pacific in 1958, later developed lung cancer which is known to be radiogenic.
Derick, 87, of Tyneside, said: “It’s the usual tripe… I applied for a war pension and it was rejected, on the basis there was a history of cancer in my family. How they worked that out I don’t know, as it’s not something I’m aware of myself.”
Steve Foote, who was denied access to his dad John’s medical records from the year he spent aboard HMS Narvik for three atomic blasts in 1957, said: “Seems ministers are still being fed the same old lines by Whitehall officials. It’s a cover-up.”
Ollie Mclean-Hall, whose grandfather was aircrew at the same tests and later died from an aggressive cancer, now has cancer himself, along with other chronic conditions. He said: “Seems to be a common occurrence: say one thing while being the Opposition and then make a full u-turn on it once in power.”
Defence Secretary John Healey has ordered an internal investigation into the veterans’ missing medical records, amid reports the compensation bill could hit £5bn.
A MoD spokesman would not comment on Mr Pollard’s apparent change of heart.
He said: “Ministers are looking hard at the concerns of nuclear test veterans, including the issue of medical records and we’re committed to engaging with and listening to their concerns. As the Defence Secretary has said, we’re committed to getting to the bottom of the questions veterans have.”
