Ex-SAS chiefs accuse Labour of 'war on our own army' as Troubles Bill risks 'humiliating Britain's special forces'
New laws are threatening to erode public trust in the army and the trust of our allies while gifting our enemies with an open goal, SAS veterans warn.
The Government's Troubles Bill is an act of "self-sabotage" threatening to destroy Britain's special forces by dragging soldiers through the courts, a group of former commanders have warned.
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A group or former senior officers including retired SAS chiefs say Labour’s Troubles Bill makes the Government "complicit in this war on our Armed Forces.”
They warn new laws are threatening to erode public trust in the army and the trust of our allies while gifting our enemies with an open goal.
It comes after Labour scrapped plans to implement the previous Conservative government’s Legacy Act, which granted immunity to troops who served in Northern Ireland.
Labour is replacing this with its Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, which will see a commission investigate Troubles-related killings.
The Government has already been warned this could leave veterans vulnerable to “vexatious” legal claims while dragging elderly former soldiers through the courts.
In a fresh warning, a group of seven former senior officers wrote in the Telegraph: “Inquiries that spill operational secrets before concluding give adversaries a narrative of lawless troops and treacherous leaders.
Read more: SAS veterans threaten ‘unprecedented’ legal action over Labour’s Troubles Bill
“Commanders now hesitate, fearing years of litigation. Troops feel abandoned. The public smells cover-ups. Allies question our secrecy and reliability.
“This self-sabotage needs no foreign hand. Our politics, media incentives, and judicial overreach do the job, gifting opportunities to Moscow’s narrative warriors. In this Troubles Bill, the Government is complicit in this war on our Armed Forces.”
They added that a “circus of premature leaks, innuendo, and selective disclosures” has already dealt a blow to the SAS.
It comes after a former paratrooper, known as Soldier F, was cleared of murdering civilians on Bloody Sunday, after a judge found that the evidence against him fell “well short”.
The former commanders are calling on the Government to stick to the Geneva Conventions, a set of international laws that govern the conduct of war, when deciding whether soldiers should be prosecuted.
They add: “Britain’s special forces are small, discreet, uniquely lethal... Their humiliation rewards Moscow, Tehran, and Beijing.
“Our handling of allegations is national security, not a sideshow.
“Defend our defenders fairly, firmly, eyes open to war’s moral mess – or keep doing the enemy’s work, one leak, one inquiry, one broken soldier at a time. A democracy that won’t back its warriors won’t long endure.”
In November, a group of SAS veterans threatened Hilary Benn, the Northern Ireland Secretary, with legal action, as they warned the Troubles Bill fails to protect former soldiers, police officers and security service personnel.
The Special Air Service Regimental Association, which issued the warning, said the proposed legislation is “manifestly deficient” in the safeguards it offers to those who served during the Troubles.
It warned that if the Bill becomes law in its current form, it will be challenged, and confirmed it intends to submit detailed concerns to Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights.
Last month, a group of nine four-star generals warned last month risk weakening the moral foundations and operational effectiveness of the forces on which this nation depends”.
“Contrary to recent ministerial assurances, highly trained members of special forces are already leaving the service... And make no mistake, our closest allies are watching uneasily, and our enemies will be rubbing their hands,” they wrote.
Writing for LBC Opinion, Sir David Davis, the Conservative MP for Goole and Pocklington, warned the Bill is already hitting recruitment, retention, morale and operational effectiveness in the Armed Forces.
He said the most acute damage is being felt by the Special Air Service.
“This has become a matter of national security and national honour.
“If we do not speak up to protect our current service personnel and our veterans, the innocent will suffer, and we will fail to defend our nation when called upon.,” Sir David wrote.
The escalating row surfaced in the Commons during Prime Minister’s Question, where Sir David urged the Prime Minister to intervene directly to ensure ageing veterans are not pulled into protracted legal processes over incidents that took place decades ago.