Veterans march on Downing Street
The News, Portsmouth, has written to the head of the civil service, Sir Andrew Turnbull, to protest at a Ministry of Defence website which claims the press has incorrectly reported the issues surrounding calls for an Artic medal.
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The News, which has been campaigning for the medal to be awarded to veterans of the Arctic convoys in World War Two, alleges that civil service impartiality has been breached.
The newspaper is seeking an investigation into a section of the MoD’s Veterans Agency website which deals with the claims for medals.
The website refers to the Arctic medal and states the MoD “has received a large volume of correspondence as a result of incorrect press reports”.
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It also claims on the issue of medals in general: “The reality is often very different from the story presented by the media, which is, after all, written with the primary intention of selling the news.”
Mike Gilson, editor of The News, said: “It is clear that this site is being used for propaganda purposes to attack the medal claims of veterans.
They are doing this with tax payers’ money and misleading the public.”
Earlier this month The News organised a march through central London, during which a 44,000-name petition was handed in to Downing Street.
By Jon Slattery
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