Outgoing defence minister Al Carns has called on the Government to ensure that veterans are not “dragged back to court” over their actions in Northern Ireland, after claiming when he resigned that plans to address the legacy of the conflict are not fit for purpose.
The Royal Marines veteran quit his position as armed forces minister on Thursday night, following John Healey’s exit as defence secretary in a dispute with Downing Street about defence funding.
But Mr Carns also cited attempts to address the legacy of the 30-plus years of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, highlighting in particular how aging veterans have been taken to court over historical operations which took place during the conflict.
Government's Overhaul of Legacy Act
The Government is currently attempting to overhaul the Legacy Act passed by the Conservatives, which aimed to draw a line under the conflict and the legal cases which have followed in the following decades.
To do this, the Act established an investigative body aimed at uncovering information and giving closure to the families of those killed in the Troubles, but it was widely panned by different communities in Northern Ireland for offering immunity from prosecution to those who shared information about crimes they were involved in.
Labour’s Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, which is aimed at replacing it and is intended to bolster protections for veterans of the conflict, has also been met with criticism.
Resignation Letter Criticism
In his resignation letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Carns said the Bill “remains unfit for purpose”.
He added: “It risks failing the very veterans it claims to protect. Men and women I served with, those I buried friends alongside, people who did their duty under conditions most individuals in Westminster will never have to imagine.
“I set out the changes I believed were necessary, and the lines which I could not in good conscience go beyond. Those lines have not been accepted. I have run out of room to argue this case honourably from inside Government. A serving minister cannot ask fellow veterans to trust a process he no longer trusts himself.”
GB News Interview
Speaking to GB News, Mr Carns said: “We are creating a hierarchy of truth in Northern Ireland. One is around legacy inquests and inquiries and the other is around an independent commission.
“My view is the independent commission should be the only body to seek truth, reconciliation and justice.
“Some of those inquests need to continue but I would like to see the majority of them, if not all of them, pushed into the independent inquiry, mirroring the way South Africa did its reconciliation so we don’t drag our veterans back to court and, importantly, we don’t rewrite history.
“Ninety percent of all the casualties in Northern Ireland were caused by who? By terrorists.”
He also told the broadcaster: “We will hold our armed forces to the highest level of legal scrutiny, without a shadow of a doubt, I’m not going to shy away from that.
“On the same hand, 70 to 80-year-old veterans being dragged to court I’m not too keen on in any way, shape or form.
“And secondly, who is this playing to? It’s actually playing to the Republicans, Sinn Féin. They lost the war through physical means and now they are trying to achieve it through political means.
“I don’t want to see anyone rewriting history to see Britain as the aggressor or in the wrong. We were in the right. We were sent there to protect lives. I served in Northern Ireland in 2003.”
Commissioner's Tribute
Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner David Johnstone paid tribute to Mr Carns in a letter published on Friday.
Mr Johnstone said he had “mixed emotions” about Mr Carns’ resignation, adding: “Any government that wants to have the support of veterans needs men and women like Al Carns in ministerial positions to bring their knowledge and experience to the table.
“However, ultimately, honour and integrity are paramount and Al feels he is no longer being listened to.
“One of the reasons highlighted in his resignation letter related to the NI Troubles Bill, where he states that the Bill ‘remains unfit for purpose’ and that the Government is ‘failing’ to show ‘loyalty to stand by’ those that have served.
“That will be extremely concerning for the veterans that I represent.”
