Labour, LibDems & Greens all vote to betray Northern Ireland veterans yet again
It doesn't seem long ago we had elderly Veteran Alec Penstone appearing on GMB that caused a nation to fall in love with him, but now those like Alec are being thrown under a bus.
In a move that should disgust anyone who values national service and the rule of law, the Labour government used its massive majority this week to strip away the legal protections previously afforded to our Northern Ireland veterans.
On Wednesday, MPs voted 373 to 106 to pass a Remedial Order that effectively re-opens the door for the prosecution of elderly British soldiers for events that occurred over half a century ago.
For those of us on the right, this isn’t just a legislative update it’s a betrayal of the men who stood in the gap to prevent civil war.
What actually happened?
The vote targeted the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023. That original legislation, passed by the previous Conservative government, sought to draw a line under the past. It offered conditional immunity to those who cooperated with a truth recovery body, a necessary, if difficult, compromise to stop the endless lawfare against veterans who followed orders and risked their lives.
By passing this new Remedial Order, the government has:
Scrapped Conditional Immunity: The legal shield that protected veterans from being dragged through the courts for decades old incidents is gone.
Opened the Floodgates for Civil Suits: The bar on new civil claims over the Troubles era cases has been removed, meaning veterans can now be sued in civil court, where the burden of proof is much lower than in a criminal trial.
Reversed the Draw a Line Policy: Instead of moving toward reconciliation, the UK is returning to a cycle of litigation and prosecution.
Guess which duo both opened the door to this
Yes you guessed it. A certain Sir Keir Starmer and Attorney General Lord Hermer have taken specific actions as part of the current government to remove immunity for Troubles era crimes, effectively reopening the possibility for veterans to be tried.
Recent reports from The Telegraph highlighted that Starmer and Hermer previously worked together pro bono, volunteering their services for free, on a 2007 human rights case. Although that case related to the Iraq War, critics like former veterans minister Johnny Mercer argue it established a legal precedent that paved the way for subsequent investigations into British soldiers, including those who served in Northern Ireland.
A Moral Equivalence That Doesn’t Exist
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, argued that immunity was indefensible because it also applied to terrorists. This is a classic example of the left’s favourite tactic, creating a false moral equivalence.
There is a world of difference between a British soldier sent by his government to keep the peace under unimaginable pressure and a terrorist who set out to murder civilians in cold blood. By removing immunity for all, the government is essentially saying they are happy to see an 80-year-old veteran in the dock if it means they can technically say they are treating everyone the same.
“The truth of the matter is that you have to give immunity to everyone or to no one. And if the price of giving immunity to our servicemen is that we give it to terrorists too, then it is a price worth paying.” Conservative MP Sir Julian Lewis
The worrying reality for our veterans
While the government talks about protections like the right to give evidence from home or anonymity, these are cold comfort to an elderly man facing the stress of a criminal trial or a massive civil suit.
Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Alex Burghart rightly called this order a continuation of the Troubles by other means. It is a proxy war designed to reignite history, fuelled by those who want to paint the British state as the villain of the piece while ignoring the fact that 90% of the deaths in the troubles were caused by paramilitary groups.
Lets hope the House of Lords stops this
The Remedial Order now moves to the House of Lords. While the government expects a smooth passage, we must hope that the peers have more respect for the service and sacrifice of Operation Banner veterans than the current occupants of the House of Commons.
If we allow our veterans to be treated as political pawns to satisfy human rights lawyers and republican activists, who will be willing to serve in the future? This week, the message from Westminster was clear.
We will send you to do our toughest work we could ever ask of any citizen and risk your life for your country to protest us all. But we won’t have your back when it’s done like other countries, we wont look after your health when you really need it nor ensure you a home or protect you from prosecution and ruin.
