Jimmy McGovern & Reg Keys

Jimmy McGovern's 'Reg' starts on BBC 1 on Monday 6 June. Reg Keys is the father of 20-year-old Lance Corporal Thomas Keys, one of six Royal Military policemen killed in Iraq in June 2003. Reg directed his anger at Tony Blair, “because he took us to war on a lie” and his defiant gesture and quiet moral authority make for a moving story about injustice and a world of pain behind every casualty of war. Jimmy has said, “It was an honour to meet Reg Keys, a truly remarkable man, and it has been a privilege to tell this part of his story.” Introduced to Reg by Felicity Arbuthnot, we persuaded Reg to stand against Tony Blair in the 2005 general election. Brian Eno then put up money for Reg's campaign and helped me organise the first press conference in his studio. You can read about all this in 'Left Field'. I too am proud to have known this remarkable man and to have played a small part in helping him against Blair. After the death of his son, followed by that of his wife Sally who died in 2011 'of a broken heart', I wish him every happiness in his future life with Jenny. 

Chilcot delay needs an enquiry

Reg Keys is leading demands for the publication of the much-delayed Chilcot Enquiry. Reg's son Tom Keys, was one of six military policemen killed in Majar al-Kabir, Iraq in June 2003. Working with Felicity Arbuthnot and Brian Eno I helped organise the early days of his election campaign when he stood against Tony Blair in Sedgefield at the 2005 general election. Watch his election night speech here. And read more about Reg in 'Left Field' here.

Brian Eno and Bosnia

I have blogged about Brian Eno and his backing for Reg Keys ten years ago in the 2005 election. This was when I was working at Stop the War. But my association with him goes back a further ten years when he was a leading supporter of War Child. Remember the Help album? Brian was also instrumental with his wife, Anthea, in the decision to build the Pavarotti Music Centre in Mostar, Bosnia. He then supported me when I was sacked for whistleblowing. He has said this about Left Field (to be published in Feb 2016): “This is an excellent and inspiring book. David is an adventurer and a free-thinker who, despite the best efforts of an education designed to equip him for obedient anonymity, somehow did something truly useful with his life. His stubborn and yet self-effacing commitment to his ideals carried him through many daunting situations ...” Here is a recent interview he did with me.

Photo: Brian Eno with child at a music workshop in Mostar (1998)

Military Families Against War

Ten years ago, at the time of the 2005 election, and two years after Iraq had been invaded, Brian Eno told me he would put up money for an anti-war candidate to stand against Tony Blair in his Sedgefield constituency. Reg Keys was the father of Lance Corporal Tom Keys, one of six military policemen killed at Majar al-Kabir in Iraq. Tom and his fellow soldiers had been sent to a police station where they were ambushed. They had no radios and had been issued with limited ammunition. In Reg’s words, ‘They were let down in life by the men who sent them to their deaths and they have been let down in death by the people who continually deny responsibility.’ As one of many parents of unnecessarily killed soldiers, Reg was campaigning against the Ministry of Defence and was supported by Military Families Against the War. He had been planning to stand against the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, in Blackburn. I had worked with the journalist, Felicity Arbuthnot, when making a film for ITN on attitudes of Iraqis in the UK to a possible attack on their country. She said we should contact Reg and, through her, I did so. He agreed to switch his candidacy to Sedgefield and I organised his first press conference at Brian’s studio. I got to know Reg, a lovely man, and soon after became a friend of ex-SAS trooper, Ben Griffin, of Veterans for Peace. (VfP) You can read more about the Sedgefield story and about Ben in 'Left Field'. And watch Reg's brilliant put-down of an edgy-looking Tony Blair at the election count. Thanks to Reg and Ben my memoir (to be published in Feb/March 2016) is now linked to VfP and if the book goes into profit, they will get my support. They will get my support even if it doesn't.