A group of British veterans who were involved in Cold War nuclear tests is preparing to take their fight to court. They believe they were used in secret radiation experiments, and now, many of their blood test records have mysteriously disappeared.
These veterans have received a boost in their legal battle thanks to public donations. However, the Prime Minister is under pressure to step in and resolve the issue before it leads to expensive legal costs that could cost taxpayers billions.
The veterans’ lawyers have repeatedly asked the Labour government for answers. They want to know why thousands of blood tests, taken during nuclear weapon trials, are missing from their medical records. So far, the government has not provided any clear response.
In November, the BBC aired a documentary exposing the issue, which caused public outrage. A day after the documentary was broadcast, Defence Secretary John Healey announced an urgent internal review to find out what happened to the missing records.
However, sources told The Mirror that while the government is looking for answers, they haven’t given any instructions to their legal team. This means the veterans feel they have no choice but to go to court to get justice.
One of the veterans, John Morris, has been personally affected. His blood test records are missing, and he has been denied a war pension. He understands that investigations take time but is frustrated that this issue has been ongoing for 70 years.
“I trust Sir Keir Starmer,” John said. “He met with us in 2022, and we appreciate his support. But we need results. I fear that going to court is the only way to get the truth, and that will be expensive and take a long time. I want to ask Keir to meet us again, take control of this situation, and fix it before things get worse.”
Last year, The Mirror reported that the estimated compensation for affected veterans could reach £5 billion—more than double the amount paid out in the Post Office Horizon scandal.
Since the BBC documentary aired, more than £10,000 has been raised through public donations to support the veterans’ legal case. These funds are being used to gather medical reports, which are needed to take the case to court.
Jason McCue, a well-known human rights lawyer, is leading the legal fight. Back in September, he made an offer to the Defence Secretary to settle the case outside of court. He proposed a one-year special tribunal to investigate what happened, compensate those affected, and honor the service of the 40,000 British and Commonwealth troops involved.
The legal team gave the Ministry of Defence (MoD) a deadline of December 31, 2024, to respond. That deadline was missed, continuing what veterans see as a pattern of delays.
In January 2025, the legal team sent another letter warning that they were preparing to take the case to court. The MoD then promised to respond by mid-January, but no reply has been received.
The legal team is now gathering the final pieces of evidence to formally sue the government. They are also carrying out health assessments on the affected veterans to prove that the lack of medical records is still causing harm today.
“If the MoD keeps avoiding responsibility, this evidence will be crucial in court,” said a spokesperson for the legal firm. “We couldn’t have done this without the generous donations from the public.”
Meanwhile, a campaign group called Labrats has been meeting with government officials to push for action. Some Members of Parliament (MPs) have also met with Veterans Minister Al Carns. He is reportedly leading a major search of historical documents in government archives, but there is no deadline for when this will be completed.
Without direct engagement between the government and the legal team, the veterans’ case is expected to officially go to court by spring.
