UK House of Lords member pushed crackdown on pro-Palestine group

A British member of the House of Lords personally lobbied government ministers to crack down on activists from the Palestine Action group, acting on behalf of a US-based military technology company.

Lord Richard Dannatt, a former chief of the UK army and current adviser to Teledyne Technologies, reportedly wrote to two Home Office ministers following an attack on one of the company’s factories in Wales. The factory had been targeted in 2022 by Palestine Action activists over the company’s involvement in supplying military equipment to 'Israel', which caused an estimated £1.3 million worth of damage, according to prosecutors.

In December 2022, after meeting with senior Teledyne officials, Dannatt wrote to then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman, claiming that the “threat from Palestine Action has more widespread implications for security and the economy within the United Kingdom.” He urged assurance that the group was being monitored by security services and that “appropriate action” was being taken.

He also reportedly told Braverman he planned to brief Teledyne’s board in the US, suggesting he was seeking to reassure the company that UK authorities were treating the issue seriously and “that the threat from Palestine Action in the UK is being suitably addressed.”

“The slow pace at which the British legal system has been working to take action against those involved in the trespass and criminal damage resulting from such ‘direct action’ has served to embolden Palestine Action and their continued recruitment drive for individuals who are prepared to commit arrestable offences,” he wrote.

In a separate letter in September 2024, Dannatt contacted Dan Jarvis, then Labour’s security minister, again seeking updates on the government’s response to “renewed attacks on Teledyne facilities.”

However, concerns were raised about Dannatt’s involvement in the legal process. During the court case in May 2023, a senior police officer involved in the investigation noted that Dannatt appeared to want to influence the proceedings, warning colleagues it would be “unwise” for a member of the House of Lords to interfere in a live criminal case.

Despite this, the court later ruled there was no evidence that Dannatt tried to influence the investigation. Prosecutors said he was only requesting information, and the judge agreed.

Lord Dannatt is currently under investigation for allegedly breaching parliamentary rules that bar peers from lobbying on behalf of private interests.

The UK government officially banned Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws on July 4, making it illegal to support or be affiliated with the group. Since the ban, over 200 people, including clergy and former magistrates, have been arrested for showing support.

However, a High Court judge recently granted Palestine Action a judicial review to challenge the ban, allowing the group to contest the government's decision in court.