AN arms lobby group pressed both the UK and Scottish Governments to take action against Palestine Action more than a month before the group was formally proscribed.
Documents obtained by The Ferret showed that ADS Group – a self-described “trade association advancing leadership in aerospace, defence, security and space” – had written to Scottish Justice Secretary Angela Constance in May.
In the letter, obtained through a Freedom of Information request (FOI), the group asked UK Government ministers to “consider proscription or prosecution for Terrorism Act offences”.
The lobbying outfit also wrote to UK policing minister Diana Johnson seeking a “need for a structured nationwide response” to the protest group, which was proscribed as a terrorist organisation on July 1.
ADS Group said they were set to meet Johnson “shortly” after the original letter was sent, with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (below) then announcing the proscription plans in June.
However, the disclosure of ADS Group’s lobbying follows the revelation that former defence staff chief, Lord Dannatt, urged Home Office ministers to take action against the “threat” posed by Palestine Action on behalf of the US arms giant Teledyne, where he serves as a consultant.
The UK Government was accused of pandering to the arms industry by Sam Perlo-Freedman of the Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT), who also alleged arms firms had direct access to Keir Starmer.
Chief executive of ADS Group, Kevin Craven, noted in the letter to Constance that although counter-terrorism powers are not devolved issues, the company was “keen to receive reassurances” that Police Scotland would work in tandem with its counterparts in England and Wales to “deal with a UK-wide challenge”.
Both the UK and Scottish Governments were urged to “carefully monitor the activities of direct-action groups including Palestine Action” and to ensure resources were pooled to “investigate and disrupt their activities”.
He also called for a national police unit to gather and share intelligence on protest groups, including covert operations like those once run by Special Branch, which was originally formed to investigate Irish republican terrorism in the 1800s before becoming a broader counter-terrorism unit.
Craven claimed arms firms targeted by Palestine Action felt Police Scotland lacked “awareness” of their powers under the 2023 National Security Act, which protects defence-related sites.
SNP MPs abstained on the vote to proscribe Palestine Action, with Brendan O’Hara later calling the move “profoundly undemocratic” and explaining the representatives didn’t vote due to the UK Government including far-right groups the Russian Imperial movement and Murder Maniac Cult in the same motion for proscription.
After the proscription was announced, First Minister John Swinney was reportedly advised to say it was a “reserved matter” for Westminster.
The Ferret reports that a briefing showed Swinney was also advised to publicly support free expression but should do so “in a democratic and respectful fashion”.
Human rights organisations have criticised the decision to proscribe Palestine Action, including Amnesty International who dubbed the move an “unprecedented legal overreach”. The National previously reported on a letter signed by top UK academics urging Labour to overturn the ban.
Whilst the government said the proscription came through a “robust, evidence-based process”, Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori said suggestions the Home Office had evidence of the group causing “significant injury” were “false” and “defamatory”.
“Yvette Cooper and No 10’s claim that Palestine Action is a violent organisation is false and defamatory, and even disproven by the Government’s own intelligence assessment of Palestine Action’s activities and the Home Office spokesperson’s statement outside court just a few weeks ago”, Ammori said.
Ammori is now allowed to challenge the ban following a decision handed down on July 30. More than 500 people were arrested under terrorism laws at a demonstration in London last week for expressing support of the group.
When asked by The Ferret if the issue of Palestine Action had been raised these meetings, an ADS spokesperson said: “The significant impact of criminal damage against businesses in our sectors has been raised with politicians and authorities on behalf of our membership base.”
The group claimed the letter was sent to address “pertinent concerns”, stressing the need to protect the right to peaceful protest whilst condemning violence and threats to workers.
ADS Group also said their sectors face “higher-than-average” targeting from direct action groups and urged the government to balance civil liberties with employee safety across the UK.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “It is important that we live in a society where people have the right to protest, campaign and express their views in a democratic, respectful and lawful manner.
“The decision to proscribe an organisation is reserved to the UK Government. The operational policing of any proscription is a matter for Police Scotland.”
