MPs and Lords rebel over witch-hunt of Troubles troops
THERESA May is under pressure from more than 150 Tory MPs and prominent peers to end the witch-hunt of Army veterans.
In an open letter delivered to the Prime Minister yesterday, the group say current investigations of former soldiers for historic allegations ‘simply cannot be allowed to continue as it is’.
It comes amid warnings that Britain’s fighting spirit could be undermined by vexatious claims over the decades-old deaths of IRA suspects at the hands of soldiers during the Troubles.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland has sparked anger by re-examining every killing by the Army during the conflict. Hundreds of former soldiers, many now in their 60s and 70s, are potential murder or manslaughter suspects.
The letter from MPs accuses Mrs May of going against a 2017 manifesto pledge to protect veterans from persistent legal claims.
More than a third of all Conservative MPs have signed the letter, along with 50 members of the House of Lords, including four former chiefs of defence staff.
One former soldier, Dennis Hutchings, 77, who is seriously ill, has been accused of attempted murder in connection with a fatal shooting in Northern Ireland in 1974. Yesterday he welcomed the ‘very, very good’ letter, saying it was ‘heartening’ to get support from so many politicians.
The letter compares the current Northern Ireland investigations to the ‘furore’ of previous hounding of Iraq veterans.
A unit called the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) was set up in 2010 to investigate claims of murder, torture and wrongdoing by British troops. Over seven years, 3,668 claims were made, costing the taxpayer £60million. Not one resulted in prosecution.
The organisation was shut down last year after being declared ‘unfit for purpose’ by MPs.
Writing to Mrs May, the letter, spearheaded by Tory MP Mark Francois, states: ‘The IHAT furore showed us how our judicial system can be abused and how it can damage our security services.
‘The legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles threatens to do just the same, and we believe it is time for the Government to act comprehensively and put it all behind us. Moreover, it is our duty to stand up for and defend those who defended us in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan and those who may follow them in the future.’
The Northern Ireland Office recently closed a consultation on legacy cases such as these.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said yesterday: ‘We are indebted to those who served with great courage and distinction to bring about peace and security in Northern Ireland. That is why I don’t want to see elderly veterans having to face repeated investigations decades after the events in question.’ Lord Dannatt, former Chief of General Staff, and a platoon commander in Northern Ireland in 1971, said yesterday: ‘The present system of historic and current investigations is demonstrably not balanced, fair, equitable and, crucially, is not proportionate. The British Government must stand up for its security forces.’
Conservative MP Richard Benyon, a former minister who served as a platoon commander in Northern Ireland during the 1980s, said: ‘The feelings on the backbenches are now running very high on this issue, and we are simply no longer prepared to tolerate the legal hounding of those who served their country by those who are seeking to exploit them for financial and or political gain.
‘We are calling on the Government to halt this process.
‘Many of us leading this campaign are ex-military men and we regard this as a vitally important mission. Like all good soldiers, we do not intend to fail.’
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said last night: ‘There is a consultation which has been taking place in relation to this issue. The purpose of the consultation was to allow everyone a say on the proposals in the 2014 Stormont House Agreement in relation to legacy and how we best move forward. The Government will now consider all the views it has received and provide a response as soon as we can.’