Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, is urging local veterans or descendants of the UK’s nuclear tests to get in touch and share their stories.
Over 20,000 UK forces personnel took part in Nuclear Testing in Australia and the South Pacific from the 1950s onwards. They maintained the sites, took samples, disposed of radioactive materials and ran laboratories. Many did so without any protective equipment, and the long-term impact of radiation for the veterans and their families has been devastating.
From the 1980s onwards, veterans began to report rare cancers, sterility, birth defects in their children and a variety of other serious medical conditions. Earlier this year, Gwynne backed the #LookMeInTheEye campaign which calls on the Prime Minister to meet with veterans of the Nuclear Veteran Community and discuss recognition and compensation.
The UK remains the only nuclear power that refuses nuclear veterans the recognition and compensation they deserve. Last month, Sir Keir Starmer met with nuclear veterans charities, and Labour is calling on the Government to finally step up and address this ongoing injustice.
Andrew Gwynne said:
“For too long, veterans and their families have been left to suffer the consequences of nuclear testing without any support or recognition. For the UK to be the only nuclear power to refuse to recognise these individuals is shameful, and it’s time that the Prime Minister met with these heroes and their families.
I would like to get a better understanding of how people in my own constituency have been affected by the long-term effects of nuclear testing. If anyone across Denton and Reddish feels they have been affected either directly or indirectly by these tests, I urge you to get in touch.
I want to hear your stories and put pressure on the Government to do the right thing”.
Those affected by Nuclear Testing can contact Gwynne via email at gwynnea@parliament.uk or by calling 020 7219 4708.