Defiant minister’s demand for Ulster veterans’ amnesty

DEFENCE minister Tobias Ellwood broke ranks yesterday to publicly demand a statute of limitations for Northern Ireland veterans – despite the Government already ruling it out.

Mr Ellwood, who served with the Royal Green Jackets in Northern Ireland during the 1990s, said he did not want somebody knocking on his door about his actions decades ago.

The veterans minister called for a line to be drawn under historical probes into British troops and hoped that following a consultation on the issue ‘common sense will prevail’.

His intervention comes after ministers scrapped plans put forward by ex-defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon which could have seen troops handed an amnesty.

The Government believes it cannot do this without IRA terrorists spared from investigations too, an option which would not be accepted in Northern Ireland.

But this position has caused fury within the Cabinet, with Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson privately warning that former soldiers now face a ‘witch-hunt’.

Mr Ellwood suggested he would use the Government consultation into legacy issues on the Troubles to push for a halt to prosecutions against former troops.

Speaking to John Pienaar on Radio 5 Live, he said: I served in Northern Ireland, I was on operations, I knocked over a few milk bottles when I was there, to put it lightly. I don’t want somebody knocking on my door.

‘I don’t want anybody asking for any members of my platoon that I served with to be asked questions on something that happened so many years ago.’

Mr Ellwood said he would ‘personally’ like the Government to consider a statute of limitations which could act as an effective amnesty.

He said: ‘I personally would like to see this considered but it’s not for me to make that judgment.

‘It does make sense to draw a line at some point to say that investigations have taken place to their conclusion, and unless there is compelling evidence put forward to a very high court, that we then close the books on that particular matter.

‘However there is a consultation taking place, these arguments will be put into that consultation and I hope common sense will then prevail.’ He said at the moment the police were knocking on the doors of people who were in their 80s, adding ‘that cannot be how we should look after our veterans’.

When challenged on whether he could retain his ministerial post despite speaking out against Government policy, Mr Ellwood insisted he was able to submit his own thoughts on the issue to the consultation.