The Tories will make a last-ditch effort to stop Labour‘s controversial Northern Ireland Troubles Bill that will ‘kneecap’ the SAS.
The law will end the immunity for former and serving members of the Armed Forces brought in by the Conservatives.
It will also resume the controversial inquests related to the conflict which have seen elderly veterans dragged through the courts.
Tory defence spokesman James Cartlidge is set to quiz ministers over the legislation when Parliament returns tomorrow.
He said the Bill will hamper British Special Forces’ ability to defend the national interest around the world.
A Tory source said it will ‘kneecap the SAS’.
Mr Cartlidge believes the prospect of being hauled before the courts means no one will want to sign up to the forces where they will be ‘fighting with one hand behind their backs’.
The Troubles Bill has drawn a furious response from the public, with a major campaign launched to stop the law being introduced due to anger over the way former soldiers have been treated.
British Troops under fire during the Troubles in Northern Ireland in the 1980s. New legislation being introduced by the Government will aim to create a new framework for addressing Troubles-related deaths
Tory defence spokesman James Cartlidge (pictured on November 5, 2025) is set to quiz ministers over the legislation when Parliament returns tomorrow
‘I can’t see how defence ministers who are veterans will continue to defend it,’ one defence source said.
A group of former SAS troops have also threatened legal action over the Bill which they claim will ‘wreck’ the Armed Forces.
It comes as the Labour-appointed Troubles commissioner said the Government’s plan to push ahead with investigations into decades-old incidents shows forces are being treated ‘worse than terrorists’.
David Johnstone said the Bill was ‘imbalanced’ and was ‘eating at the very fabric of the Armed Forces’.
In November, nine top generals wrote an open letter to Sir Keir Starmer attacking the proposals, explaining the damage that ‘pernicious human rights laws’ are having on the Armed Forces.
