MP Challenges Government Betrayal of Operation Banner Veterans

Keir Starmer accused of surrendering British veterans of the Troubles to face legal persecution from group of 'politically motivated lawyers'

During tense exchanges in the Commons, former Tory Cabinet minister Sir David Davis urged the Prime Minister to think again about the decision to repeal the Northern Ireland Legacy Act, which was designed to end the witch-hunt against British veterans, reports the Daily Mail.

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Watch the exchange here.

Read a transcript of the exchange below:

PMQs Sir David Davis Wed, Jul 09, 2025

Sir David Davis

With permission, Mr. Speaker, before my question, can I tell the house that in the public gallery today there are a number of veterans of Northern Ireland, given what the Prime Minister said about 7/7, I'd like to publicly thank them for their courage in defending our country and against the first scourge of terrorism. Now, the prime minister knows that every time a paramilitary was killed in Northern Ireland by a British soldier, it triggered a thorough investigation. No bullet went unscrutinised. Our soldiers were held to the highest standards of law. The Ira were not. They tortured and shot men in the back. They forced families to watch their menfolk murdered. They killed women and children with bombs, yet we are willing to prosecute our own men, men forced to make life and death decisions in split seconds. If the government get the legacy legislation wrong, at least 50 innocent retired veterans be exposed to legal persecution for crimes they did not commit. I have raised this matter six times now since February, so I ask again, on Monday, when we debate this matter in Westminster Hall, will his government protect our veterans, or will it sacrifice them to politically motivated lawyers trying to rewrite history with a pack of lies.

Prime Minister

Well, can I join him in his thanks to the veterans here today with us, and to all veterans…He knows there's a serious issue….the end of his question didn't really reflect that seriousness, because the scheme… that was set up by the party opposite, was found to be unlawful in the courts, and he knows it. And, it wasn't supported by the communities. It would have meant, as he knows, immunity from prosecution for those who committed the most appalling terrorist crimes, and that's why it didn't have support in the communities, and didn't have the support, I think, of any political party in Northern Ireland, and that was amongst the reason it was found to be unlawful.

So we have to tread carefully. We have to get this right, and I'll work with him on that. But we don't get there by cheapening the debate…It's not about political point scoring. I worked in I have worked in Northern Ireland, I have spoken to many of the people affected. And I know we must get this right, and I want to do so, and I want the house to do it together if we possibly can, because it matters. But we have to do that in a serious way, to address the issues of the past, of course, in a way that has support of victims and survivors, and that is a key test for me, because without the support of victims and survivors, I think it is very hard in Northern Ireland to come up with something which will have the confidence of everybody in Northern Ireland, which is why we have to work in the way we do.

In advance of the new legislation, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland continues to engage with veterans and their communities to ensure that legacy mechanisms are fair, that they're lawful and they're proportionate. I'll continue to work with him and others in the house, because the most important thing is not scoring points, but getting it.