Sir Keir Starmer is facing mounting criticism over Labour’s plans to scrap the Northern Ireland Legacy Act, with military veterans and political opponents accusing the Prime Minister of disregarding the sacrifices made by British soldiers during the Troubles.
The Labour government intends to repeal the 2023 legislation, which restricts new historical investigations and civil actions related to deaths during the Northern Ireland conflict. Labour argues that the Act is widely opposed by victims’ groups and Irish political parties, and is incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.
But critics say the move could reopen the door to politically driven prosecutions of veterans, many of whom served decades ago and have warned that Labour’s plans risk alienating the public and rewriting history.
Ex-British Army officer criticises Starmer
In response, a former British Army officer famous for his pre-battle speech before the Iraq war, Colonel Tim Collins, strongly criticised Sir Keir’s response to concerns raised in Parliament.
He said the Prime Minister had been “frivolous and even disdainful” when answering a question from senior Conservative MP Sir David Davis during Prime Minister’s Questions.
“The Prime Minister resorted to downplaying an issue that will confront every Labour MP during the upcoming recess,” Collins wrote. “As they return to their constituencies, they will face a wave of furious constituents, incensed by the Government’s harsh and unwarranted treatment of veterans while seemingly rewarding those who waged a 30-year campaign against the British people.”
Sir David Davis had warned that, unless the government reversed its course, it would sacrifice veterans to “politically motivated lawyers trying to rewrite history with a pack of lies.” In response, Starmer accused Davis of cheapening the debate and engaging in political point-scoring.
Starmer said: “We have to tread carefully and get this right It’s not about scoring political points. I’ve worked in Northern Ireland and spoken to many affected. Without the support of victims and survivors, we can’t build lasting confidence.”
The issue is set to dominate political discourse over the coming weeks. A Parliamentary debate is scheduled for Monday, sparked by a petition titled Protect Northern Ireland Veterans from Prosecution, which has gathered over 167,000 signatures in just two months.
Several hundred veterans are expected to protest in Whitehall ahead of the debate.
The UK Government’s proposed repeal has prompted fears that up to 70 former soldiers could face prosecution, according to the Northern Ireland veterans’ tsar, many of them over incidents dating back more than 50 years.
Col Collins argued that the repeal would allow former IRA members and their affiliates to claim compensation, while subjecting British soldiers to renewed legal scrutiny despite their actions largely taking place under lawful orders and official rules of engagement.
Col Collins noted that over 90% of the killings during the Troubles were carried out by illegal paramilitary groups,
predominantly the IRA, while the police and British armed forces were responsible for less than 10%. “Many of those were lawful operations,” he said. “Where wrongdoing occurred, it was prosecuted.”
He continued: “Our soldiers served to prevent civil war. Eight hundred British soldiers and over 300 police officers were killed. Thousands more were wounded. Yet now, there are attempts to prosecute those same men and women under the guise of justice, decades after the fact, with little chance of successful convictions.”
Critics alleged the legal campaign is being funded and encouraged by a network of republican-sympathising lawyers, supported by public funds, with the Irish government also playing a significant role. One Northern Ireland MP reportedly claimed the Irish Government was effectively driving the Northern Ireland Office’s approach.
According to Collins, the situation resembles a political bargaining process: “The Irish Government wants up to 14 cases. The MoD argues for none. A compromise is looming, where weak cases will proceed not for justice, but for political appearances.”
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