Bravery, Betrayal and Resilience Prevail While Government Remains Silent

A former SAS Squadron Commander offers says the July 14 Westminster debate was just the beginning as numbers continue to grow in support of Operation Banner veterans.

It has been 80 days since the July 14 Westminster debate on Operation Banner lawfare — and the Government has yet to release a debate outcome.

The number of voters supporting the petition that triggered the debate has continued to grow to over 203,000 nationwide.

Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Squadron Commander 22 SAS, 1991-94, describes the debate as “a foundational moment”, saying it highlighted views and raised awareness, but was a first step in a march toward justice that seems far from complete.

“We were never expecting it to be the silver bullet, but it was a good foundational moment for us to build on into the Autumn,” he says.

A prominent issue is the accusation that those spreading fears around the changes to legislation are naïve, as the now veterans minister, Louise Sandher-Jones MP, claimed in the debate.

Not being a lawyer himself, Lowther-Pinkerton acknowledges that his understanding is not exhaustive, but the voices of knowledgeable lawyers he has spoken to resonate with concerns that soldiers, especially those from Northern Ireland.

 ”It’s interesting that lawyers who do not come at it … with an agenda are absolutely saying what we think, which is that the soldiers have no rights…specific to Northern Ireland, they have no rights, they have no recourse,” says Lowther-Pinkerton.

“And the proof is in the pudding. The evidence that this is all skewed and wrong is the fact that men who have been found to have no case to answer under hugely detailed forensic analysis at the time, [are] now being hauled back over the coals and persecuted, and screamed and shouted out by lawyers with an agenda and having their lives ruined in their retirement years.

“You don’t need any more evidence than that…to understand that there’s something wrong here, something majorly wrong.”

Talking with affected veterans reveals a profound sense of betrayal.

Individuals who have risked their lives and adhered to the SAS unwritten mantra of preventing bullies from persecuting the innocent now find themselves without support.

They operated in extreme danger, under orders from the highest political levels, and yet now endure scrutiny and persecution alone.

Despite this, many veterans exhibit remarkable composure. Despite immense pressure, their ability to remain calm is astounding. The sense of betrayal remains, however, amplified by the absence of leadership from those who should stand by them now.

Lowther-Pinkerton says he, too, feels a sense of betrayal.

 ”I wasn’t there, but I feel betrayed, because why is it that a Squadron Commander who was providing resource — but not actually commanding on the ground — a Regimental Sergeant Major from 30 years ago, and his commanding officer from 30 years ago are the ones who are having to break cover?” asks Lowther-Pinkerton.

“We haven’t been soldiers for. 20 years in my case, you know, 25 years, and I feel betrayed because where are the bosses? You know, why aren’t they? Why aren’t they here? You know, it’s not for me to do this.

“And if I feel that, what are the guys on the ground feeling? But they don’t show it because they’re SAS men.”

The resilience of those veterans is a testament to their character, but they deserve better — not just acknowledgment, but systemic change and support.

Sign the petition and get others to make their voice heard: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/725716