Former Armed Forces Minister Al Carns Decries Northern Ireland Legacy Bill as Unfit
Al Carns, the former Armed Forces Minister, has labelled the government's Northern Ireland Legacy Bill 'unfit for purpose', stating this opposition contributed to his resignation on Thursday.
In his resignation letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Carns asserted that despite his efforts 'to fix the bill from the inside', it 'remains unfit for purpose' and 'risks failing the very veterans it claims to protect'. He criticised the government's approach, noting that 'the instinct that serious problems can be managed rather than faced runs through the Northern Ireland Legacy Bill'.
Carns revealed that his proposed changes to the legislation were rejected. 'I set out changes I believed were necessary and the lines which I could not in good conscience go beyond. Those lines have not been accepted,' he stated. He added, 'I have run out of room to argue this case honourably from inside government,' emphasising that a serving minister cannot ask veterans to trust a process he himself no longer trusts.
The former minister also voiced concerns regarding insufficient government investment in the armed forces. 'We ask soldiers to fight for this country. In return we owe them the kit to do the job and the loyalty to stand by them when it's done. We are failing on both,' he argued.
TUV leader Jim Allister welcomed Carns's comments, remarking that he 'exposed what many veterans in Northern Ireland have been saying for years'. Allister concurred with Carns's assertion that the proposed bill 'is creating a hierarchy of truth in Northern Ireland'.
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) responded by stating the bill is 'a vital step in righting the wrongs of the flawed Legacy Act', which 'left veterans exposed to a legal wild west'. The NIO indicated that substantial amendments are forthcoming to bolster protections for veterans, refuting suggestions that 'veterans will be dragged through the courts'.
Background to the Legislation
The 2023 Legacy Act, introduced by the previous Conservative government, offered conditional immunity for Troubles' crimes in exchange for cooperation with the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). The current Labour government has since introduced a new bill, with MPs voting to repeal the conditional immunity provision. The revised plan includes a legacy commission, a dedicated legacy unit within An Garda Síochána, and specific protections for veterans.
