Keir Starmer rejects name for Chinook crash inquiry

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has rejected requires a judge-led inquiry into an RAF Chinook helicopter crash in 1994.

4 crew and 25 passengers had been killed when the helicopter, carrying senior safety personnel from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Eire to Fort George close to Inverness, went down in foggy circumstances over the Mull of Kintyre.

Households of the victims had wished Excessive Courtroom judges to overview info they mentioned was not thought-about in earlier investigations.

In a letter to the households, Sir Keir has mentioned {that a} public inquiry wouldn’t “carry any better certainty” and wouldn’t be “within the public curiosity”.

Andy Tobias, who was eight when his 41-year-old father Lt Col John Tobias was killed within the crash, referred to as the prime minister’s response “completely pathetic”.

He vowed that the households, , who’ve shaped the Chinook Justice Marketing campaign, would “see the UK authorities in courtroom”.

All of these on board the helicopter – together with personnel from MI5, the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the Military and RAF – had been killed when it crashed.

The incident was initially blamed on pilot error, earlier than the 2 pilots had been exonerated in 2011.

The households of the victims referred to as for the discharge of paperwork which have been sealed till 2094 by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The campaigners hoped it will provide new info on the airworthiness of the helicopter.

They claimed the UK authorities had breached its human rights obligations by failing to order a public inquiry.

However Sir Keir mentioned the MoD had suggested him that data they maintain provided “no insights” into the crash, and that they’d been sealed to guard private knowledge.

He mentioned his authorities was “dedicated to transparency and accountability”.

The prime minister added: “Given the intensive investigations already performed into the crash, together with two impartial, judge-led processes, inquiries by each Home of Commons and Home of Lords choose committees, and the unique RAF board of inquiry, I don’t consider {that a} new inquiry can carry any better certainty or is within the public curiosity.”

Mr Tobias mentioned the Prime Minister had “slammed the door in our face”.

He added: “He says the federal government is dedicated to transparency and accountability, however then again – we’ll simply seal away the recordsdata for a century and inform us bereaved households there’s nothing to see right here.

“His response is completely pathetic.”

Mr Tobias added: “However we is not going to surrender. And we are going to see the MoD and UK authorities in courtroom.”

A spokesperson for the MoD mentioned: “The Mull of Kintyre crash was a tragic accident, and our ideas and sympathies stay with the households, pals and colleagues of all those that died.

“The accident has already been the topic of six inquiries and investigations, together with an impartial judge-led overview.”

They reiterated that the sealed file contained private data and that the discharge of the knowledge would breach knowledge safety guidelines.