ForcesWatch comment

Notes on attending the inquest into Sean Benton’s death at Deepcut barracks

Last week the Coroner at Working Coroner’s Court delivered the findings into the circumstances of Sean Benton’s death at Deepcut Barracks in June 1995. Sean was the first of four soldiers to die there between 1995 and 2002. ForcesWatch have been monitoring the inquest; this article shares our records from the inquest and notes on the final findings.

Download the full notes

Deepcut – another verdict; still more questions….

Today is a significant day in the Deepcut tragedy. We explore some of the problems that allowed the toxic environment of Deepcut to develop and continue to persist today and why raising the age of recruitment would provide a significant part of the solution.

Misguided aim of weapons show

The following letter was sent to the Sunday Times and a version is published here.

The concerted effort to increase the power of the military across society must be challenged

As support for the military is paraded in streets across the UK at Armed Forces Day events, politicians charged with fighting the military's corner are waging their own war on public and political opinion.

This article was published in The Morning Star on 2 July 2018

Warrior Nation – ‘the hidden power of the military’

The apparent threat by the Defence Secretary to bring down the Prime Minister should she fail to stump up more billions for the armed forces formed the background to the launch of a major new report on 25 June.

Warrior Nation: War, militarisation and British democracy examines the relationship between recent conflicts and the wider power of the military in society and politics.

War Hurts Everybody

Leicester for Peace report on their 'War hurts everybody' vigil at Leicester Armed Forces Day on was 23 June.

The armed forces and special schools

Concerns we have raised with the Scottish Parliament about armed forces activities in special schools have been picked up by The Daily Record newspaper.

Ministry of Defence misleading public over armed forces visits to schools

With the publication of the Scottish Parliament's Public Petitions Committee report on our petition on armed forces visits to schools, there has been substantial coverage in the news (see our round-up). The Ministry of Defence have said a number of things in response that are very disputable – this blog outlines some of the evidence.

Resisting militarisation in Leicester

We interviewed poet and campaigner Ambrose Musiyiwa for Peace News on militarisation in Leicester and how local people are acting to resist militarism.

Ethics not (military) ethos

Former education minister Robert Goodwill has been tasked with drawing up a report for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on the benefits of ‘military ethos’ in schools. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has suggested this could include ‘military academies’ in disadvantaged areas.

We consider the ethics of imposing an ethos from outside of education, especially when it serves interests at odds with the best interests of young people.