Two former Army chiefs, Labour’s own Northern Ireland veterans commissioner, and Al Carns have all criticised Labour’s fraught Troubles Bill before it returns to the Commons next week on 19 October.
On Monday ministers announced amendments giving the Attorney General sign-off on prosecutions, a “compelling new evidence” test before veterans can be approached as witnesses, and a bar on coroners duplicating past investigations unless “essential.” Wes Streeting told the defence committee the Bill is now “in a much better place.” It depends on who you ask…
General Sir Peter Wall, head of the Army from 2010 to 2014, and General Sir Nick Parker, the last commander of operations in Northern Ireland, said in a statement yesterday:
“The Government claims to be protecting them from prosecution, but it is failing to protect them from repeated investigations and legal proceedings… The likelihood of eventual prosecution is remote, but the personal consequences of the legal process that will inevitably follow from this Bill will be devastating. The process itself is going to continue to be the punishment.”
The generals point out the new evidence test only covers witnesses, while soldiers who fired at terrorists will be treated as suspects and get zero protection. On the undefined “essential” test, they warn “lawyers will relish exploiting this loose language.” They also note there is “absolutely no provision to compel former terrorists to disclose information.” Two-tier…
David Johnstone, whom Labour appointed as veterans commissioner last year, told the Times that the bill amounts to “lawfare on steroids,” could “open the floodgates” to reopening cases closed decades ago and will cost “well over £2 billion.” He said it could “set the peace process back maybe ten years.” Guido is starting to think this bill is not the best idea…
Johnstone has backed a rebel amendment from Al Carns, who quit as a defence minister in June over defence spending. It would move all inquests into the new Legacy Commission. Carns says the 30 or more live inquests cost between £20 million and £200 million each – at least £1 billion in total – and that “the process is the punishment of the inquests.” A vote depends on the Speaker selecting this amendment…
Streeting has admitted that at least nine paused inquests must restart under last year’s joint framework with the Irish government. The lawyer for Soldiers A and C, acquitted in 2021 over a 1972 shooting after 12 years of prosecution, says the amendments will have “no impact” on the new inquest they now face. Another client, Soldier B, was cleared for a third time last year. Last month the family of the IRA man killed in that incident was granted legal aid to take the case to the Supreme Court. It never stops…
Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock was asked if Burnham will take Britain back into the EU:
“Yes, sure – his commitment is authentic. He really does understand from the grassroots up why restoring what I think of as normality in our continent is vital for every party economically, politically, culturally, in terms of security, and he’s able to articulate it in language that people can understand. So yeah, he is definitely”.