Tory veterans minister Johnny Mercer defends blanket Troubles amnesty saying party has 'ended the scourge' of criminal charges for ex-soldiers

In a firm defence of the NI Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act, otherwise known as the Troubles amnesty, he described the criminal charges brought against former soldiers for murder and attempted murder as "a stain on the nation".

The act, which passed into law last month, is widely reviled in Northern Ireland, having met effectively unanimous opposition from victims' groups and from political parties including both the DUP and Sinn Fein.

It defines the Troubles as beginning on January 1, 1966, and ending on April 10, 1998 (when the Good Friday Agreement was signed).

It says “no criminal investigation of any Troubles-related offence may be continued or begun” after the act fully enters force, except for the activities of a new “truth recovery” body which will let perpetrators give an account – under immunity – of why and how they killed someone.

Mr Mercer, a former soldier himself, began by telling the Tory Party conference today that he was “an irritating, ruthless campaigner for veterans' rights”, adding that “above all of that I'm a patriot”.

He described himself as having embarked on a “crusade on veterans’ affairs”.

“I believed if I can show the values that were missing in the care of my generation of veterans of Afghanistan, this party would close that gap.

"It's a values thing, how we look after those who served – those who, instead of shouting loudest about their country outside yet another party conference, actually crossed that threshold and were prepared to sacrifice body and mind for our way of life for our country for our values.

“In the last 30 years we have seen politicians repeatedly failing to take the long-term choices for our veterans.

“But this PM has been different from the start. And I'd not be here if he wasn't.”

Mr Mercer hailed Rishi Sunak's decision to appoint a veterans' minister, before concluding: “And finally, that totemic scourge on the lives of our extraordinary people who served in Northern Ireland has been removed.

“The hounding of these special people who stood against terror, violence, in Northern Ireland on our behalf was appalling.

“A stain on our nation: not just on the veterans community, but the nation as a whole.

“The sight of these men being arrested in their 80s dragged back to Belfast hounded literally to death, it was a totemic symptom of a nation's moral ambivalence to those who served.

“To end that was about hard choices .... about principle, about honesty about what could be achieved in that space.”

He then directly addressed veterans saying: “Your sacrifice has bought the peace we have today in the UK, and we are unequivocal in our admiration and total respect for your service, and I hope you can begin to feel that now for yourselves as well.”