Labour was last night accused of opening the door for Republican terrorists with its repealing of the Legacy Act.
The Government has been under fire from the military community since it scrapped the Tory legislation which gave soldiers who served in Northern Ireland immunity against prosecutions.
When Labour presented its alternative Troubles Bill, ministers claimed that it included ‘protections and safeguards specifically designed and put in place for veterans’.
But following written questions tabled by shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge, the Government has been forced to admit the IRA could benefit from the same measures.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn last week conceded the changes, such as the right to seek anonymity and protection from repeated investigations, ‘will necessarily apply to others’.
The revelations come after an elderly ex-paratrooper hounded for decades over killings on Bloody Sunday more than 50 years ago was acquitted on Thursday. Following the verdict in Belfast, furious campaigners demanded Labour end the witch hunt of veterans.
Buoyed by the Government’s scrapping of the Legacy Act, Republicans have vowed to bring more cases to court. Last night, Mr Cartlidge said: ‘This is yet another betrayal of our veterans by Labour.’
The Daily Mail has led the way in its support for soldiers through the Stop the SAS Betrayal campaign.
Labour was last night accused of opening the door for Republican terrorists with its repealing of the Legacy Act. Pictured: The aftermath of the Grand Hotel in Brighton hit by an IRA bomb on October 12, 1984
When Labour presented its alternative Troubles Bill, ministers claimed that it included ‘protections and safeguards specifically designed and put in place for veterans’, but the Government has been forced to admit the IRA could benefit from the same measures (file photo)
To date, more than 200,000 people have signed an online petition against Labour’s ripping up of protections for Northern Ireland veterans.
The 2023 Legacy Act was introduced by Tory Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer, requiring fresh evidence to be brought to resurrect cases from the Troubles, which lasted from the late 1960s until the Good Friday Agreement was struck in 1998.
The Ministry of Defence was contacted for comment.
