Armed Forces minister resigns: SAS veterans say Al Carns departure shows Labour government's legacy plans 'not fit for purpose'
A group representing veterans says the resignation of the armed forces minister shows the government’s plans to deal with the legacy of the Troubles is “fundamentally flawed”.
Al Carns quit the Labour government on Thursday, saying the government’s handling of proposed new laws is “failing” veterans who served in Northern Ireland during decades of terrorism – and that he “no longer trusts” the process.
The SAS Regimental Association says the resignation shows plans by Sir Keir Starmer’s administration to repeal and replace the previous government’s Legacy Act “are not fit for purpose”.
The organisation said Mr Carns’s the Secretary of State for Defence John Healey had fought hard for veterans. It said their “principled departure” sends a welcome message to the government – but leaves its members “vulnerable to endless vexatious litigation triggered by apologists for terrorists”.
“The Special Forces Associations have never sought immunity from wrongdoing but are adamant that the mistreatment of veterans must end. Their 6,500 members are angry and frustrated at the failure of successive governments to do more to end their persecution.
“Trust will be hard to restore. They urge - and stand ready to support - the new Secretary of State to continue the fight to defend veterans”, the association said.
It called on the government to scrap a remedial order to address immunity provisions in the last government’s Legacy Act. The High Court in Belfast had ruled that its immunity provisions – and a ban on civil proceedings – were incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.
“Servicemen and servicewomen were sent to NI to defend the state and the public. The question now is whether Government and Parliament will defend them”, the SAS veterans said.
Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner David Johnstone thanked Mr Carns for his work, and said the reasons he gave for his departure would be “extremely concerning for the veterans that I represent”.
“I appreciate that some veterans felt Al should have resigned sooner, however it was right for him to do his best to argue for change from within, as long as he had influence. I never doubted his motivation to do the best he could for the Armed Forces in general and Operation Banner veterans in particular, so his resignation yesterday proved that belief was not misplaced”, he said.
A Government spokesperson said: "We owe an immense debt to the veterans who served with distinction in Northern Ireland. The Troubles Bill is a vital step in righting the wrongs of the flawed Legacy Act, which was rejected by our own courts and left veterans exposed to a legal wild west.
“Over the last few months, ministers have listened closely to the concerns of Armed Forces associations. While there are already strong safeguards in the Bill - including protection from repeated investigations - the government will shortly bring forward a substantial package of amendments to further bolster these protections.
“Suggestions that veterans will be dragged through the courts are simply wrong. Our Armed Forces have always been bound by the rule of law, and those who served honourably and followed the rules have absolutely nothing to fear.”