This week the Tories led an unprecedented all-party move to get the
Government to clear the names of the pilots blamed for the crash of
a Chinook helicopter on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994.
Conservative party chairman David Davis opened a special debate on
the affair in the House of Commons on Tuesday.
Computer Weekly has campaigned to overturn the finding of gross
negligence against RAF flight lieutenants Jonathan Tapper and
Richard Cook over the crash, in which 25 high-ranking police and
intelligence personnel were killed. It has highlighted the fact
that possible problems with the helicopter's engine control
software cannot be ruled out as a cause.
The Ministry of Defence has persistently refused to change the
verdict despite critical reports from a special House of Lords
investigative committee and the Commons Public Accounts
Committee.
Efforts to persuade the Government to reverse the verdict are being
supported by the Liberal Democrats, the Scottish National Party and
some Labour backbenchers.
Before the debate Davis said, "It is, I think, unprecedented that
we have an all-party motion on an opposition day. It is an
apolitical issue. Six weeks ago, the House of Lords report came out
and it was devastating for the MoD's case.
"We want to bring the MoD's thinking process into the public
domain. What it says, time and time again, is that no new evidence
has been brought up. The answer to that is that there was never any
evidence in the first place.
"Every breakthrough is preceded by the feeling that you are banging
your head against a brick wall."
Labour backbench MP Frank Field said, "If the Government does not
listen to every political party, then something is deeply wrong.
When members of all sides of the House come together on a motion it
has to be addressed. We want to see justice and we want to see the
pilots exonerated."
The motion reads, "That this House notes the House of Lords Select
Committee Report on Chinook ZD576, which concludes that 'the air
marshals were not justified in finding that negligence on the part
of the pilots of ZD576 caused the crash' in the Mull of Kintyre on
2 June 1994; and calls on the Government to exonerate the deceased
pilots, flight lieutenants Jonathan Tapper and Richard Cook."
The wording closely follows an early day motion tabled by Angus
Robertson, the Scottish National Party's Westminster defence
spokesman, in February 2002, which has already secured the support
of 79 MPs.
Robertson said, "I am very pleased to be co-operating with members
from other political parties in the campaign to exonerate the
Chinook pilots. This is a strong campaign, and I am convinced that
a cross-party effort can be successful in persuading the Government
to change its mind.
"Already, 79 MPs have backed the early day motion that I tabled,
and I believe that most MPs and members of the public are persuaded
of our case. This debate is part of the process of winning justice
for the pilots' families, and removing the stain from the memories
of their loved ones."