Will the hounding of veterans never end?
Sellout as the Duchess bags a brace
THERE ARE conmen’s promises and political pledges. I prefer the former – more reliable. My abacus cannot recall the times our politicians have sworn that the persecution of our ex-soldiers who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland would be terminated.
The first two were brought by chancers hoping for a fat compensation cheque signed by the British taxpayers.
Various shyster lawyers represented the phoney claimants but rigorous re-examinations found no murderers or torturers in our uniform. Eventually the Law Society struck off persistent persecutor Phil Shiner who had hounded hundreds of veterans (all exonerated) and written copiously for The Guardian.
Now the Police Service of Northern Ireland has re-opened the hounding of 12 veterans who served there, even though they are all now very elderly, some in frail health, and all have already been investigated once – with a finding of “no case to answer”.
And still the hounding of veterans goes on. For the record, 722 servicemen were murdered over there. Prosecutions of known IRA gunmen by the PSNI – zero.
I once had a ray of hope when Johnny Mercer, ex-combat soldier, became Minister for Veterans but even he has proved impotent in the face of the Britain-hating forces within our degenerate Establishment.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith (exGuards officer Northern Ireland) heads the Veterans Support Group of more than 40 Tory MPs who are doing their best but they too seem powerless.And what is Boris doing? Bumbling away.
What infuriates the fair-minded is that these ex-soldiers have faced not one but repeated cycles of probes, witch-hunts that go on and on.
Is there any country in the world that will so eagerly amnesty its enemies while hounding those who put their lives on the line for it? Try thinking of one. You’ll fail.
FASHION experts have hailed the “Camilla effect” after the Duchess turned a shoe firm’s £179 trainers into a sellout.
Sole Bliss said its Hero fashion trainers sold out in 24 hours after news that Camilla, 73, had bagged two pairs.
The British firm, which makes footwear for women with bunions, said she picked one each in navy and black.
It comes hot on the heels of the “Kate effect”, the phenomenon that sent sales of clothes worn by the Duchess of Cambridge soaring.
A Sole Bliss spokesman said:
“Our trainers sold out in under 24 hours and we have been inundated with requests.
“All our trainers are handmade in Italy and more will be arriving in the next two weeks.
“Much has been made of the ‘Kate Effect’. Now it’s the senior royal’s time to shine.”
Fans of the cushioned footwear include former models Katie Price and Kelly Brook and actresses Dame Helen Mirren, Viola Davis and RebelWilson. Camilla previously bought 11 pairs of £149 heels by the same company and has worn them to numerous public engagements. She has described “screaming in agony at the end of the day” on duty and three years ago admitted she could no longer wear high heels. She said: “That’s one thing I have to accept. I’ve gone down to two inches – can’t do it any more.”