Lord Dannatt Peer urged Palestine Action crackdown at request of US firm

A member of the House of Lords urged ministers to crack down on Palestine Action at the request of a US defence company that employs him as an adviser.

- Henry Dyer Rob Evans

Richard Dannatt, a former head of the British army, wrote privately to two separate Home Office ministers asking them to address the "threat" posed by the group after its activists targeted a factory in 2022.

The activists caused extensive damage to the factory, which is run by Teledyne, a US multinational that sells technology for military, aerospace and other applications. Lord Dannatt has been a paid adviser to the company since 2022.

Dannatt's involvement after the attack on the factory in Wales led to allegations heard later in court that the peer was "seeking to influence" the criminal investigation.

The police officer in charge of the investigation had told Teledyne executives that "it would not be wise to have a member of the House of Lords poking around in a live criminal case", according to evidence heard in the trial of one of the activists.

Dannatt said he was completely unaware of the exchanges in the trial and said the allegations were "baseless". His actions on behalf of the company nonetheless demonstrate the value to companies looking to affect government policy of having a member of the House of Lords as an adviser.

Dannatt, 74, has sat in the Lords since 2011. He is now under investigation by the House authorities over two sets of allegations that he broke parliamentary rules that forbid lobbying. One allegation stems from undercover filming by the Guardian.

He has denied the earlier allegations, saying: "I am well aware of...the Lords code of conduct...I have always acted on my personal honour."

In July this year, ministers banned Palestine Action, claiming it was involved in terrorism. Supporters of the group said the ban was absurd and draconian. The group is challenging the legality of the ban in court.