Veterans of Cold War radiation experiments are preparing for court, backed by a fundraising boost
The Prime Minister has been told he is running out of time to end the Nuked Blood Scandal before it costs the taxpayer billions in legal costs.
Lawyers for Cold War veterans who fear they were victims of human experiments during nuclear weapon trials have repeatedly asked the Labour government to provide answers about thousands of blood tests which were conducted on troops but are now mysteriously missing from their medical files.
A shocking BBC documentary highlighted the scandal in November, and a day after it was aired Defence Secretary John Healey announced an urgent internal review of what records were taken and what happened to them.
But sources have confirmed to the Mirror that while ministers hunt for answers, they have not issued any instructions to the government lawyers – leaving veterans with no choice but to head for court.
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Veteran John Morris, whose blood tests are missing from his own medical records and has been refused a war pension, said: “It’s understandable the government needs some time to investigate. But this has been going on for 70 years, and we don’t accept the MoD didn’t know what the MoD was up to.
“I have faith in Sir Keir, who met us in 2022. We value the co-operation we’ve had. But when are we going to see the results? I worry the only way we’ll get to the truth is with a judge, which will be expensive and long-winded for everyone. I’d like to say Keir, please, meet us again, take charge, issue some instructions, get this sorted before it gets any worse.”
The Mirror revealed last year that the estimated final compensation bill had been calculated to top £5bn – more than double the cost of the Post Office Horizon scandal. In the wake of the documentary, the veterans’ legal crowdfunder received more than £10,000 in donations and background work is now underway to provide health reports on some of the veterans, which are necessary to issue the first court claims.
Human rights lawyer Jason McCue is leading the case, and in September provided the Defence Secretary with an offer to settle out of court with a one-year special tribunal to get to investigate, compensate, and commemorate the sacrifice of the 40,000 British and Commonwealth troops involved.
“We asked the MoD to respond by December 31 2024. It missed that deadline, continuing the pattern of avoidance and delay,” said a spokesman for the firm. “We wrote again in January 2025 to say we are preparing to escalate the dispute into formal litigation. Under pressure, the MoD promised to respond by the second week of January, although we have heard nothing since.”
The spokesman added: “We are now working with veterans to finalise the evidence required to issue formal legal proceedings. We are continuing to undertake health assessments with the claimants to build the case that the MoD’s failure to provide the medical records is causing ongoing harm. If the MoD continues to obfuscate, this evidence will be key to demonstrating the veterans’ case, and we could not have obtained it without the generosity of our donors.”
Campaign group Labrats has had meetings with government officials about the review, and cross-party MPs have met with Veterans Minister Al Carns. It is understood he is leading an historic document sweep of the archives, but Parliament has been told there is no deadline for it. Without formal engagement with the legal team acting for several hundred veterans and descendants, the case is expected to issue a claim in the spring.