'Utterly pathetic' Keir Starmer blasted over MOD 'cover up' of soldier deaths

The Prime Minister has rejected calls by the families of those killed in the Chinook helicopter crash for a public inquiry into the disaster. Four crew and 25 passengers were killed when the helicopter, carrying senior security personnel from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to Fort George near Inverness, crashed over the Mull of Kintyre.

Families of those killed have alleged that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has covered up the cause of the crash after they sealed documents related to the incident for 100 years. A campaign launched by the families of those killed has seen a petition urging the government to hold a national inquiry and release files related to the disaster gain 25,000 signatures. In a letter to families, Sir Keir Starmer said that a public inquiry would not "bring any greater certainty" and would not be "in the public interest".

The group has accused the MOD of "losing its moral compass" for summarily dismissing their demands for truth, transparency, a public inquiry and access to files to allow them to understand how their loved ones came to be on an aircraft that was not airworthy and had been grounded the day before the crash.

Leaked documents obtained by the families - and available on the Chinook Justice Campaign website - prove that the Boeing Mark 2 Chinook experienced "unpredictable malfunctions" as well as "shutdowns and surges in power".

The Prime Minister said that the MOD had assured him that the sealed documents offer "no insights" into the cause of the crash and that they have been sealed to protect data, a claim the families have repeatedly dismissed as "nonsense."

He said his Government was "committed to transparency and accountability".

The Prime Minister added: "Given the extensive investigations already conducted into the crash, including two independent, judge-led processes, inquiries by both House of Commons and House of Lords select committees, and the original RAF board of inquiry, I do not believe that a new inquiry can bring any greater certainty or is in the public interest."

Andy Tobias, who was eight when his father, Lt Col John Tobias, 41, was killed in the crash, labelled the Prime Minister's letter as "utterly pathetic".

He said: "He says the Government is committed to transparency and accountability, but on the other hand, we'll just seal away the files for a century and tell us bereaved families there's nothing to see here."

The families have this week praised the decision by the BBC to re-air a documentary on the disaster.

Dr Susan Phoenix's husband, Ian, a detective superintendent in the RUC, was among those killed. She has sought the truth for more than 30 years and is one of those interviewed on the programme.

Dr Phoenix, 76, who lives in Portland, Dorset, said: "It was solely down to this excellent two-part BBC documentary by Fine Point Films that brought all of the Chinook Justice families together to fight for truth, transparency and justice.

"Why would files on this horrific crash be sealed for 100 years without there being something to hide, not just from the widows of those on board, but from their children, and grandchildren.

"There is something rotten at the heart of the MoD that continues, having put 29 people on an aircraft that was not airworthy, to insult and patronise us all, just as it dishonours our loved ones. We are determined to find out the truth, and we believe the British public wants that too."

A spokesperson for the MoD said: "The Mull of Kintyre crash was a tragic accident, and our thoughts and sympathies remain with the families, friends and colleagues of all those who died.

"The accident has already been the subject of six inquiries and investigations, including an independent judge-led review."

The first episode of 'Chinook Zulu Delta 576' is due to be broadcast on Sunday August 17th on BBC2 at 9pm, with the second part transmitted on Sunday August 24th at 9pm. The programme will also be available on BBC iPlayer.