Lord Richard Dannatt, a former head of the British army and current life peer, urged Home Office ministers to crack down on the protest group Palestine Action at the request of US defence company Teledyne, which employs him as a paid adviser. The peer wrote privately to two ministers in 2022 after activists targeted a Teledyne factory in Wales, causing over £1 million in damage.
Court transcripts obtained by the Guardian reveal that the police officer leading the investigation into the attack expressed concern that Dannatt was seeking to have “input” into the live criminal case. Sergeant Alex Stuart of Dyfed-Powys Police wrote to superiors that a Teledyne executive had indicated Dannatt wanted the case explained and to have some involvement. Stuart advised that “it would not be wise to have a member of the House of Lords poking around in a live criminal case”.
Dannatt denied the allegations, calling them “baseless”, and said he was unaware of the exchanges in court. He is currently under investigation by the House of Lords authorities over two sets of allegations that he breached lobbying rules, one stemming from undercover filming by the Guardian. He has maintained that he has always acted on his personal honour and adhered to the Lords code of conduct.
In July 2024, the government banned Palestine Action, labelling it a terrorist group. Supporters criticised the ban as absurd and draconian, and the group is challenging its legality in court. Four activists were previously convicted of conspiracy to cause criminal damage at the Teledyne factory in Presteigne, Wales, and received prison sentences ranging from 23 to 27 months.
