Former UK veterans minister Johnny Mercer 'feeling pretty low' after MPs strip away Troubles immunity clauses from Legacy Act
The man who was one of the main driving forces behind the efforts to grant immunity for Troubles crimes has said he is “feeling pretty low” after MPs voted to bring the de facto amnesty to an end.
Johnny Mercer was commenting on the fact that the government pushed through a remedial order this week, editing the old Conservative government’s Legacy Act to remove its immunity provisions, as well as its bar on civil cases concerning the Troubles.
The vote passed overwhelmingly (373 to 106), given Labour’s dominance of the Commons.
The DUP, whilst it opposes immunity as a principle, opposed the remedial order on the grounds that it “will open the floodgates against our brave soldiers, those who stood as human shields between good and evil” (in the words of Carla Lockhart) – whilst leaving paramilitaries unpursued.
Joining the DUP in opposing it were the Tories, plus the UUP and TUV MPs, whilst Alliance and the SDLP backed it.
Defending the remedial order, the Northern Ireland Office said in a statement to the News Letter: "There never has been and never will be any moral equivalence between our Armed Forces – who laid down their lives for this nation – and terrorist organisations.
"Immunity is a false promise unsuccessfully introduced by the previous government.
"It has never been in place due to UK courts finding it incompatible with human rights obligations, resulting in continued legal uncertainty for our veterans.
"We are changing that by putting in place real, workable protections for veterans and we will continue our engagement with their representatives on those measures to ensure they deliver for them."
Mr Mercer, a former army capitain, served as a Tory MP from 2015 until 2024, and was Minister of State for Veterans' Affairs on-and-off from 2019 to 2024.
He has written on Facebook: “Feeling pretty low today to be honest.
"I’ve moved on from most things political, and rarely watch the news, but this week one ex-colleague apologised for opposing me for five years when I was trying to bring home Afghan special forces, all the while letting in thousands of people who don’t need to be here.
"And then yesterday, this government took its latest step in repealing veterans’ rights in the UK by restarting the prosecutions of veterans who served in Northern Ireland, which I had stopped because they were unfair, mendacious, and hounded innocent men to their graves.
"I never expected another government to come in and want to promote my agenda, that’s naive and unrealistic.
"But I did not expect them to systematically undo 10 years of work trying to improve veterans’ rights in the UK.
"Thanks for all the support I get on here and on other platforms.
"Life is good, and I’m happy.
"But sad too, if you know what I mean.”
Meanwhile, in the wake of the vote, Mrs Lockhart has told the News Letter: “The debate on this remedial order has laid bare a deeply troubling reality that the government is determined to push this through regardless of the serious objections raised, particularly by those in Northern Ireland.
"This process will reopen civil cases that focus almost exclusively on the actions of the security forces, once again placing those who served our society under scrutiny whilst the terrorists who murdered on our streets continue to evade justice.
"That is not balance. It is revisionism.
"What is even more concerning is that this rush appears to be driven not by the interests of victims in the United Kingdom, but by a desire to appease Dublin.
"The UK government is bending over backwards, while the Irish government does nothing in return.
"Instead of dancing to Dublin’s tune, the government should be standing up for the people who wore the uniform and served our country.
"There is still no guarantee that the interstate case will be withdrawn and there is no commitment from Dublin to bring forward legislation of its own.
“Yet Westminster is expected to press on regardless.
"That is not fairness and it is not justice.
"Northern Ireland deserves better than a process that once again puts those who defended society in the dock while others walk free.”
Among those also opposing the government’s remedial order in the Commons on Wednesday night had been Sarah Pochin of Reform.
She had said: “The Legacy Act put a stop to lawfare. Although not perfect, it was a step in the right direction as it outlawed lawfare against veterans…
"The government want to reopen inquiries, leading to the return of years of misery and stress for, and the persecution of, our brave veterans in their retirement years, after they served this country so loyally during the Troubles.
"In the meantime, on-the-run letters of comfort remain in place for IRA terrorists – letters sent by Tony Blair and Jonathan Powell, the current national security adviser.
"The return of civil suits will lead to the return of slow justice and a cost of millions more to the taxpayer.”
Seperate to the remedial order passed on Wednesday night, the government is in the process of bringing in its own Troubles Bill to replace the now-largely-dismantled Legacy Act.