Former Armed Forces minister Al Carns has asserted that SAS soldiers should not be labeled as 'villains' of the Northern Ireland conflict and should not be subjected to perpetual persecution by those seeking to alter historical narratives. Carns, a decorated former Special Forces officer, resigned from Sir Keir Starmer's government over defense spending and the party's proposed Troubles Bill.
The prospective legislation aims to allow troops to be subject to legacy inquests and criminal investigations under the Human Rights Act, a law enacted years after the Troubles concluded.
Carns, who has previously supported the Troubles Bill but later reversed his stance, stated in a foreword to a paper by the Policy Exchange think-tank that every use of lethal force by the SAS was investigated at the time and that those who served were subject to the law. He acknowledged that where new and compelling evidence emerges, it should be examined. However, he argued that it is unfair to subject veterans to repeated investigations of the same events decades later simply because the process or legal standards have evolved.
"No soldier should be above the law. Equally, no soldier should face endless legal jeopardy," Carns wrote. "Accountability is not the same as perpetual investigation. Justice is not served when the process itself becomes the punishment."
The government's Northern Ireland Troubles Bill intends to establish a Legacy Commission to review killings that occurred during the conflict, beginning in 1969. This initiative is linked to a commitment to provide protections for veterans.
Veterans have reportedly welcomed Carns' recent position on the Bill, although some former senior officers have expressed skepticism given his prior support for the legislation. The Daily Mail has been campaigning to protect SAS soldiers from what it describes as "witch hunts."
Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed that Labour's Northern Ireland Troubles Bill is scheduled to be reintroduced to the House of Commons in the autumn. This bill is intended to replace the previous Conservative government's Legacy Act 2023, which offered conditional immunity for individuals involved in Troubles-related offenses.
Labour's proposed legislation removes those protections and establishes the Independent Commission on Information Retrieval to assess whether new evidence warrants the reopening of old cases. The Troubles Bill has progressed through its first and second readings in the House of Commons and is awaiting committee stage.
The treatment of veterans by Labour remains a contentious issue, with the Special Air Service Regiment Association reportedly considering legal action if its members' interests are not sufficiently addressed. According to the Northern Ireland Office, the legislation aims to create a "fair and transparent system" for victims' families to seek answers, including those who died in service. The government also contends that the Troubles Bill offers veterans six protections and safeguards not previously available, such as exemption from attending legal hearings in Northern Ireland.