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Hundreds of veterans marched outside Parliament on Monday to protest against the possible repeal of the Legacy Act. The demonstration came as MPs debated the controversial legislation inside the House of Commons.
The former soldiers marched to Parliament Square in Westminster, brandishing regiment flags and Union flags, flanked by a motorbike procession. Conservative MPs including Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Mark Francois and Stuart Anderson joined the protest.
Government faces veteran backlash
The debate follows more than 165,000 people signing a petition calling for the Government to keep the Legacy Act. The legislation was introduced in 2023 by the former Conservative government to halt all but the most serious allegations involving Troubles-related cases from being investigated further.
The Labour Government announced it would repeal and replace the Northern Ireland (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 following criticism from human rights groups. The groups had opposed immunity provisions for soldiers involved in Northern Ireland operations.
Veterans fear prosecution threat
Veterans and MPs said they feared the repeal would open up soldiers to prosecution and create a "two-tier" justice system. They argued this would give IRA soldiers immunity whilst leaving British troops open to prosecution.
James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, warned the changes could dissuade people from joining the Armed Forces. He said soldiers could face "persecution" years after their service.
Recruitment concerns raised
"We all know we need more people in our Army, our Navy, our Air Force," Cartlidge said. "Fundamentally, this is about us as a country, recognising that we live in a time of heightened threat."
He added: "The last thing we want to do is be going after them again for what they did decades ago. What message is that going to send to all the young people whom we want to join the Army in future?"
Former Conservative leader speaks
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative Party leader who served in Northern Ireland, told PA that veterans were angry about the potential changes. "They feel they served their country. They did what they could do. They did their best," he said.
"We see the pursuit of Northern Ireland veterans whose cases were heard previously and settled. They are the ones being pursued yet again in the courts under the arrangements and this is wrong," Sir Iain added.
MPs condemn government approach
Mark Francois, a shadow junior defence minister who backed the petition, said the Government's approach was wrong. "They're not treating veterans who were there to uphold the law in Northern Ireland the same as they are treating alleged terrorists," he said.
"There should be no moral equivalence between the veterans and the terrorists," Francois added. The MP emphasised the distinction between those upholding the law and alleged terrorists.
Veterans share personal concerns
Aldwin Wight, 72, a former special forces commanding officer from Cornwall, described seeing colleagues "caught up in this sort of endless doom loop of legislation". He warned that current security threats required people willing to take on difficult tasks.
"You don't want to do that as it were, with your solicitor in your pocket. You want to do it with a clear operational view of what you're doing," Wight said.
Protesters travel from across UK
Denise Walker, 58, a veteran in the catering corps, travelled from Glasgow to join the protest. "This has led to our servicemen fearing that we're going to be up for prosecution again," she said.
"At the end of the day, this Government sent us over there to do a job on their behalf. We followed their orders to the letter," Walker added. Her comments reflected concerns shared by many veterans at the demonstration.
David Holmes, a 64-year-old veteran who runs the Rolling Thunder veteran motorbike group, said he had spent years campaigning on the issue. "We worked with the previous government. We found a good solution," he said, expressing frustration at the proposed changes.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
