Retired Parachute Regiment Lt Col accuses Minister for Armed Forces Alastair Carns of trying to 'gaslight' Northern Ireland veterans into accepting government Troubles legacy plans
A former Lt Col in the Parachute regiment has accused the Minister for Armed Forces of trying to "gaslight" Northern Ireland veterans into accepting the government's latest plans to deal Troubles legacy.
Retired para officer Simon Barry made the accusation in a letter to UK Minister for Armed Forces Alastair Carns this week after Labour announced plans to repeal the 2023 Legacy Act for Northern Ireland which had put in place by the previous Tory government.
A package of mooted measures by the UK government to protect veterans is not contained in the framework document - but will reportedly be contained in the legacy legislation being brought forward.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald says her party will scrutinise the details but it must be "victim-centred" and human rights compliant.
But DUP MP Carla Lockhart said the announcement has caused "great hurt and angst" among Troubles victims because it was done in partnership with the Irish government, which has for many years "refused" to share evidence in Troubles investigations.
She said it was “utterly outrageous” that such a significant announcement” was made on 19 September - while Westminster was in recess - giving scant ability to scrutinise and question the plans before the legislation comes before MPs.In prolonged correspondence with Mr Carns in the run up to the announcement, Mr Barry argued:
l Veterans did not believe the argument that the changes were for their benefit.
l Labour was historically - and currently - much too close to leading Sinn Fein figures.
l Any changes could only benefit Sinn Fein..
l New legislation could not improve the negligible chances of prosecuting IRA members.
l Sinn Fein would not accept any final legislation that gives immunity to veterans.
l On the Run comfort letters given to IRA suspects are still in force.
In his letter to the minister this week, he branded Mr Carns' assurances to him in recent correspondence as "an attempt to gaslight regimental associations into accepting what you propose".
He said the proposed safeguards for veterans "give the appearance of window dressing" but that they propose something "less effective than what is already in place".
The former Para said that after reading analysis by the Policy Exchange think tank, the Government's decision not to appeal a Belfast High Court's decision which found the against the existing legacy act in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights. as "a political rather than a legal decision".
While the minister told him that the reintroduction of immunity has been rejected by the courts he countered argued that this has not been tested in court; (the 2023 Act contained conditional immunity).
The IRA has no records and a "ruthlessly" enforced "omerta" he said - in stark contrast to the plight of veterans.
"That is why Sinn Fein/IRA will welcome the repeal of the act."
The only aim of Sinn Fein, he believes, "is the rewriting of history and portraying themselves as victims".
"We also believe that the time has come for clarity regarding comfort letters. Are they still in effect? If not, why did the DPP not recharge [John] Downey over the Hyde Park bombing?"
The Ministry of Defence was invited to respond on Wednesday 1 October.