This department is losing its moral compass, siding with the vultures

When I was advised in a late night text message from someone in the inner office of the previous secretary of state for defence, that my work on dismantling Ihat was “disappointing”, I knew something was not right. I could not square in my head the moral failure of an organisation that I knew – and surely they knew – was conducting clearly corrupt practices in an effort to prosecute British soldiers from operations in Iraq from 2003 onwards.

It’s easy to forget that our servicemen and women conducted the Iraq war in the shadow of a million of their fellow citizens marching in protest against it. Once they left these shores they were poorly prepared and committed to the operation by civil servants and politicians alike.

And now some 15 years later we are finally beginning to understand the lengths to which an organisation like the MOD will go to look after itself in the aftermath. A non-existent provision for my colleagues who needed it as veterans; a purely tokenistic approach to mental health; this nation’s brave and best being completely taken advantage of by governments of all colours.

But it’s becoming clear my personal qualms are in hindsight insignificant compared to some of what is being uncovered now. There is a distinct distance between ignorance and the resulting lack of provision this creates, and the deliberate-conscious effort to besmirch our men and women that has been historical investigations into operations in Iraq. A Government that now refuses to fully grip the historical allegations process from Northern Ireland and other conflicts is in danger of being seen to repeat this offence.

Those who break the law must be held to account. But this is not some noble pursuit of justice. This is a department losing its moral compass and becoming complicit with vultures like Phil Shiner, Abu Jamal and others like them who want to rewrite history and line their pockets. Their like are still doing it: Northern Ireland, Afghanistan and more. The “Modernising Defence Review” has a lot of work to do. Johnny Mercer is a Tory MP and former soldier