The Right to Know: The Inside Story of the Belgrano Affair

by Clive Ponting

RIGHT TO KNOW. While a senior civil servant at the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Clive Ponting sent two documents to Labour MP Tam Dalyell in July 1984 concerning the sinking of an Argentine navy warship General Belgrano, a key incident in the Falklands War of 1982. The documents revealed that the General Belgrano had been sighted a day earlier than officially reported, and was steaming away from the Royal Navy task force, and was outside the exclusion zone, when the cruiser was attacked and sunk The Ponting case was seen as a landmark in British legal history, raising serious questions about the validity of the 1911 Official Secrets Act and the public's right to know. Shortly after his resignation on 16 February 1985, The Observer began to serialize Ponting's book The Right to the inside story of the Belgrano affair. The Conservative government reacted by tightening up UK secrets legislation, introducing the Official Secrets Act 1989. Before the trial, a jury could take the view that if an action could be seen to be in the public interest, that might justify the right of the individual to take that action. As a result of the 1989 modification, that defense was removed. After this enactment, it was taken that 'public interest is what the government of the day says it is.' One further fact which influenced Mr Ponting's unexpected acquittal was that he submitted the documents to an MP, who was, in effect, upholding the right of Parliament not to be lied to by the government of the day.

Genres: History, Politics

Hardcover

First published March 1, 1985

Reviews

[Alistair Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is compelling reading and although over 40 years old the issues raised remain relevant. Prior to reading this book I really did not care too much about the circumstances of the sinking of the Belgrano or which way she was sailing , Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands and sinking an enemy ship is to be commended. The issues raised in this book and the authors trial are however important, it`s about Ministers lying and deciding to mislead MPs and Parliament and to undertake a politically motivated trial, the issue here being that Ministers were deliberately misleading Parliament not due to security concerns but from political embarassment. The author , a senior civil servant, took the decision to hand papers to a MP showing this deception.
In the subsequent trial the author was aquitted by a Jury despite it seems appalling bias and pressure from the judge to convict.
The issues raised are still relevant today, at a basic level our right to know what is being done in our name, that politicians lie, the interests of the state and ruling party are not the same thing, the importance of the right of trial by jury and in a recent parallel the US sinking of an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean arguably outside of the conflict zone and rules of engagement.
Recommended

[Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the year marking the fortieth anniversary of the Falklands conflict and its most notable episode, the sinking of the Belgrano, this was a compelling and unputdownable read at times. I know it's a very old book but the challenges that one man faced in a system in which he worked, then took on and finally cleared his name make it a worthwhile pickup, especially for those who weren't around.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This seemed so relevant when I read it, perhaps less so now. It has been dwarfed by the Manning & Snowden revelations.
However, it remains pertinent.
The actual events depicted are a generation on still quite sore points & continue to divide the Hawks & Doves, the believers & sceptics. Probably more of an historical curio now.