Support Ken in his fight to save the BNTVA. Tel: 01505-345612

What a shambles: Britain's nuclear veterans brought to their knees by a raft of allegations involving fraud and sexual misconduct

"They couldn't run a bath," is phrase often used to describe the way the British Nuclear Tests Veterans Association has been run in recent times.

We use the word "run" advisedly because what has been going on in this association since almost the beginning of the millenium is nothing more than a disaster.

The BNTVA was formed simply to achieve justice for the thousands of servicemen who witnessed nuclear bomb tests in the 1950s

That meant a judicial enquiry into the conduct of the tests which evidence suggested were carried out in haste and with little regard for the men's safety

And, more importantly, compensation for the men and their children who suffered dreadfully as a result

Of course it was going to be a hard road and the Government and the Ministry of Defence were never going to give in without a fight

But what has brought the veterans' cause so low in our opinion is simply money In the early days donantions by the author Catherine Cookson of £50,000, quickly followed by a similar amount from the Joseph Rowntree Trust, caused no end of distrust and strife within the organisation It was eventually frittered away on dubious projects that achieved nothing

Similarly with turning the association into a charity

At a stroke the association was hobbled, and rendered powerless to campaign against the government

Sure, it got a £5million backhander from the government, but what has it achieved? Most of it seems to have been stashed away in some sort of trust fund with a handful of veterans getting maybe a stairlift or a wheelchair. Research? As far as we can make out Brunel University got £1million plus to interview a handful of veterans and their families about their health history The research conclusions were incomprehensible and proved nothing

The people that have been presiding over all this, charity trustees and chancer politicians are forever screeching about achieving "recognition."

A few mollifying words in parliament from various prime ministers are greeted with the same reverance as though Moses had just come down from the mountain.

The same with the latest campaign to get a medal for the veterans

The government with all the insourcience of the early Americans giving out glass beads to the indians has agreed to award a "commemorative" medal to the veterans. It is not a medal for valour or bravery, it's just a piece of metal for being there

Most genuine nuclear veterasn, who never asked for a medal in the first place, have told the government in no uncertain terms what they can do with their medal.

It is time to stop all this nonsense and put the nuclear veterans back where they belong: standing up to the government, shaking their fists and demnanding justice

Only one man can lead this fight He is Ken McGinley, the Nelson Mandela of the movement. The man who started the whole thing off The only man with the charisma and the gravitas to carry it off.

He has demanded a fresh start for the BNTVA All right-thinking veterans and their children should get behind him now or else we fear the movement will be lost forever.

Fissionline is an independent newspaper with no political ties or affiliations. Contact:- fissionline@gmail.com

Tel 07801184011