Prime Minister was confronted with warnings from former SAS commanders during a fiery parliamentary debate.
Kemi Badenoch challenged the PM on Northern Ireland veterans (Image: Parliament TV)
Putting former soldiers who served in Northern Ireland during the IRA’s campaign of terrorism at risk of prosecution at a time when the UK may have to deploy forces to Ukraine is “madness”, Kemi Badenoch has warned Sir Keir Starmer. The Conservative leader told the Prime Minister that British soldiers needed to know politicians “have their backs”.
She warned that the Government risks “wrecking” the country’s special forces with its treatment of veterans from the so-called Troubles. Legislation has been introduced that would repeal a law passed under the Conservatives offering conditional immunity to people willing to take part in a process to uncover the truth about events during the years of violence in Northern Ireland. Mrs Badenoch put Sir Keir on the spot during Prime Minister’s Questions, saying: “If the Prime Minister is deploying troops to Ukraine, those troops need to know that we have their backs.
“Last week, seven former SAS commanders [warned] that Labour’s Northern Ireland Troubles Bill will wreck our special forces…
“In November, nine retired four-star generals warned that his Bill was a direct threat to national security. And even his own Northern Ireland veterans commissioner has said our veterans are being treated worse than terrorists.
“So, is it not madness to be putting veterans in the dock for serving their country at the same time he is deploying today’s soldiers into Ukraine?”
British soldiers found themselves in a province at risk of civil war (Image: Reach Plc)
Sir Keir hit back, claiming the Conservative plans would also have granted immunity to terrorists.
He said: “When it comes to Northern Ireland, they are the party that gave immunity to IRA terrorists – terrorists who killed British soldiers. Their flawed Act was struck down by the courts, which left our veterans with no legal protection whatsoever.
“We are introducing a fair and transparent process with a package of rights and protections for our veterans. And there is no equivalence between our armed forces who fought bravely in Northern Ireland and terrorist groups.
“If the Leader of the Opposition wants to go back to [to] their old flawed legislation and give immunity to the IRA she should stand up now and say so.”
Mrs Badenoch said: “On this side of the House we will defend those who defended us.”
She added: “We protect our veterans. What he is doing to veterans is disgraceful.”
