The Special Air Service Regimental Association has written to all Labour MPs imploring them to vote to ditch the hated Troubles Bill. The bill was delayed until the next parliamentary session this week by Hilary Benn, who claimed that the government would change it substantially via amendments…
The SAS association – which counts the Prince of Wales as its patron – wrote a letter to the PLP yesterday asking them to vote against or abstain from the carryover motion for the bill, scheduled to take place on Monday. Its letter is written with the support of the other Special Forces Associations. They are not buying the Labour spin…
The crucial segment:
“Many others, including many of your colleagues in Parliament, have serious doubts about the Bills’ efficacy. It is time for the Government to recognise how flawed the Bill is and to rethink its strategy for dealing with the legacy of the Troubles, which currently uses veterans as pawns and emboldens the use of lawfare against Operation Banner veterans. Last week’s Court of Appeal ruling in relation to Coagh illustrates the impact of this lawfare. Soldier B has been dragged through the Courts for six years in a case with no merit, which both the High Court and the Lady Chief Justice in the Court of Appeal threw out, criticising the misuse of public funds to pursue the case.
Soldiers who served in Northern Ireland came from all over the country and many veterans and current serving members are your constituents. We write more in sorrow than anger and ask, with the support of the other SF Associations, that on Monday you vote against carrying over the Bill or abstain. To do otherwise will risk prolonging not only the disgraceful persecution of veterans who deserve better from the State they served but also the suffering of the families of victims of terrorist violence. The Bill and the continuing lawfare it will enable risks seriously undermining our national security when we are facing the most perilous times since the end of the Cold War.”
Read the full letter below:
“A Message to Labour MPs from the SAS Regimental Association
The Special Air Service Regimental Association welcomes Wednesday’s written statement by the
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and his evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights
(JCHR), which exposed the extent to which the Troubles Bill is unfit for purpose. As
previously stated, we will defend our members and our interests with a robust legal challenge
should the Government not change course. That would pit the SAS Regimental Association against
the Government in Court, the optics of which would be catastrophic.
The delay demonstrates that the Bill is currently unworkable. As you will be aware, serious
concerns regarding the Bill have been shared by many interested parties including retired Generals,
the Veterans Commissioners and veterans’ groups.
Despite repeated assurances from Hillary Benn, we must emphasise that the Government’s current
much vaunted “protections” do not actually safeguard veterans sufficiently. The SAS Regimental
Association made detailed proposals for amendments needed to achieve the required safeguards
more than four months ago. It is still not clear whether the amendments will be adopted before
Committee stage and no draft text has been shared with us as promised. Special Forces veterans
have no confidence that a suitably amended Bill will be ready early in the next session of
Parliament.
Many others, including many of your colleagues in Parliament, have serious doubts about the Bills’
efficacy. It is time for the Government to recognise how flawed the Bill is and to rethink its strategy
for dealing with the legacy of the Troubles, which currently uses veterans as pawns and
emboldens the use of lawfare against Operation Banner veterans. Last week’s Court of Appeal ruling
in relation to Coagh illustrates the impact of this lawfare. Soldier B has been dragged through the
Courts for six years in a case with no merit, which both the High Court and the Lady Chief Justice in
the Court of Appeal threw out, criticising the misuse of public funds to pursue the case.
Soldiers who served in Northern Ireland came from all over the country and many veterans and
current serving members are your constituents. We write more in sorrow than anger and ask, with
the support of the other SF Associations, that on Monday you vote against carrying over the Bill or
abstain. To do otherwise will risk prolonging not only the disgraceful persecution of veterans who
deserve better from the State they served but also the suffering of the families of victims of terrorist
violence. The Bill and the continuing lawfare it will enable risks seriously undermining our national
security when we are facing the most perilous times since the end of the Cold War.”
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