As Royal Navy whistleblower William McNeilly remains in military custody for criticizing Trident nuclear safety procedures, an ex-Navy sailor who backs many of his allegations has spoken at length to RT.
Euan Bryson, 25, served in Britain’s Royal Navy for 4 1/2 years as a communications and IT specialist. Among his leading roles were positions onboard the UK’s ex-Royal Navy flagships HMS Ark Royal and HMS illustrious.
The former sailor also served at the Faslane nuclear submarine base where McNeilly was working before publishing his 18-page report, which argued that the Trident nuclear program posed serious safety and security risks to Britain.
Bryson told RT on Wednesday he was disturbed by how the issue is being covered by UK mainstream media outlets – a number of which approached him after he commented on the Trident scandal in the Guardian on Tuesday.
He said despite various invitations he was “uncomfortable” at the thought of speaking to them after observing the tone of much of the commentary on the case. Bryson said: “Nobody is questioning what the guy’s said.” “They are focusing on his personality and mental health, rather than the security issues he is pointing out.”
The former sailor said that even if it was true that NcNeilly had mental health issues, it was just another example of the Navy’s lamentable security and safety standards.
While agreeing with many of McNeilly’s criticisms, which center on the Faslane base and its nuclear submarines, Bryson said that there were security issues “across the fleet.”
Bryson recalled he had seen drunken service personnel in civilian dress let into secure facilities while at the naval base in Portsmouth, England.
They had secured entry by flashing bank cards at inattentive sentries from across a road, he said. He added during his entire time serving the Royal Navy, he was rarely searched when entering a British naval base.
Bryson said it was important to make sure the story did not leave the public consciousness. He also appreciated the political context of the allegations, particularly given the rise in Scotland of the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) with their anti-nuclear stance.
Asked why he added his voice to McNeilly’s in the first place, Bryson cited his own military service: “The sense of duty does not go away because you leave.”
Since the McNeilly allegations came to light, the Royal Navy has maintained it places the highest priority on security and safety. However, there is also a reason to believe that McNeilly will NOT be charged under the Official Secrets Act, the risk of embarrassment is too great.
