Thalidomide UK Campaign Info

Previous Activities Information

View The Following Campaign Issues

Thalidomide Morale Obligations

Tax & Compensation Info

Thalidomide UK Campaign Record

(the following information is based on facts)

Saturday 23rd October 1993

Freddie Astbury Founded Thalidomide Action Group UK (Thalidomide UK)

Friday 24th December 1993

Freddie Astbury Starts Hunger Strike on Christmas Eve

Campaign Issue Diageo: Trust Was Running Out of Money

Thursday 4th May 1995

Diageo Donates £2.5M for the next fifteen years 1995 to 2009

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Wednesday 23rd August 1995

Thalidomide UK Launch Campaign Against the Government

Campaign Issue Government: Tax Exemption of The Thalidomide Trust

Wednesday 5th June 1996

Government Donates Announces It’s to £7M one of payment

(no clear reason was given by the government for donation)

……………………………………………………………

Thursday 29th February 2000

Thalidomide UK Launch Boycott against Diageo/Guinness

(Support by Celebrities Westlife, Ronan Keating and Michael Owen)

(Robbie Fowler & Prince Naseem)

Monday 10th April 2000

Thalidomide UK Launch Scottish Boycott

(Support by Footballer Paul Gascoigne)

(Scottish Members of Parliament All Parties)

Campaign Issue Diageo: Thalidomide Victim Health Deterate

Thursday 1st June 2000

Diageo PLC agrees to extend the company’s payments to the Trust of £2.5 million per year beyond 2009, up to the year 2022. Diageo also agreed to index link this payment from April 2000 in line with the annual increase in the UK Retail Price Index.

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Tuesday 7th October 2003

Press Conference: Thalidomiders - Unfair Tax

Freddie Astbury (Thalidomide UK) & Michael Howard (Conservative Leader)

Dr Martin Johnson (Director The Thalidomide Trust) and other Beneficiaries attended

Campaign Issue (Re-launch): Tax Exemption for Beneficiaries of The Thalidomide Trust

Two of our fellow thalidomiders Nicholas Dobrik & Guy Tweedy help lead the campaign in parliament by writing over 3,500 letters to Lords, MPs, and beneficiaries.

Thursday 15th July 2004

Government gives Tax Exemption to Beneficiaries of The Thalidomide Trust.

Thalidomide UK Existing Campaigns

Unfair Tax

Thalidomide people are taxed at 34% on income payments they receive from their trust fund (The Thalidomide Trust), however a certain percentage can be claimed back. However items relating to their disabilities i.e. adaptation are tax exempted. Thalidomide people campaigns for total tax exemption.

Government Compensation

In 1958 the drug thalidomide was given a product license in the UK. The Department of Health reassured the public that the drug was safe to be given to women during pregnancy. Instead the drug caused over 3,500 deaths in babies and left a further 500 survivors to be born without missing limbs, including internal deformities. Thalidomide people wants the government to pay compensation. other European states have already paid compensation to thalidomide victims in the 60s.

Distillers/Diageo

The original manufactures of the drug thalidomide was Distillers Biochemical Ltd. Distillers was taken-over by Guinness in 1985. Diageo was formed in December 1997 through the merger of GrandMet and Guinness. These companies are still paying new claimants who are still proving that their disabilities were caused by the drug thalidomide between 1958/62. Thalidomide people have never received adequate settlements when you consider many that where born with missing limbs, so they fight on.

The Use of the Drug Today

Today the drug thalidomide is used for a number of illnesses. Thalidomide UK continue to monitor the drug and campaigns for stricter guidelines. We are not against the use of the drug has long as safety comes before profits and it is never given to male/female during pregnancy.