Elite SAS veterans urge Labour rebellion over Troubles Bill 'witch hunt' fears
Labour MPs are being urged by Britain’s elite Special Forces veterans to rebel against the Government’s Troubles legislation, in a stark warning that it risks exposing former soldiers to “lawfare” and undermining national security.
Listen to this article
In a letter seen by LBC, the SAS Regimental Association, backed by other Special Forces groups, has urged MPs to vote against or abstain on the Bill’s carry-over next week.
The letter, sent yesterday and backed by other Special Forces associations, calls on MPs to reject the carry-over of the Bill when it returns to Parliament on Monday, warning it is “unfit for purpose” and risks exposing veterans to further legal action.
The association said it would pursue a “robust legal challenge” if the Government does not change course, cautioning that a court battle between veterans and the state would have “catastrophic” optics.
It argues the legislation, intended to address the legacy of the Troubles, fails to provide adequate protections for former service personnel and could instead fuel what it describes as “lawfare” against veterans of Operation Banner.
In the letter, the group points to a recent Court of Appeal ruling in the Coagh case, in which proceedings against a former soldier were dismissed after years of litigation. It claims the case highlights how individuals can be “dragged through the Courts… in a case with no merit”, criticising the use of public funds.
Despite assurances from Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn, the association says it has “no confidence” that amendments needed to protect veterans will be introduced in time, adding that draft proposals promised months ago have yet to materialise.
The intervention comes as wider concerns grow about the impact of legal scrutiny on serving personnel.
As LBC reported earlier this week, former 22 SAS commanding officer Richard Williams warned that experienced soldiers are leaving the regiment over fears of being pursued through the courts for actions taken on operations.
He said the trend risks undermining one of the UK’s most elite military capabilities, with insiders describing departures from 22 SAS as “significant”.
Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, Lt Col Williams said the fear of retrospective investigations, including under human rights law, was causing some troops to question whether to continue serving.
“For experienced SAS men who still have time to serve, they’re sitting there thinking, is it worth it?” he said.
He warned that even the perception of legal risk could affect how special forces operate, creating hesitation in high-pressure situations and ultimately weakening national security.
The Ministry of Defence declines to comment on UK Special Forces but said it remains “immensely proud” of the armed forces and is committed to ensuring personnel are protected within the law.
The vote on Monday is now set to become a flashpoint in the long-running debate over how Britain deals with the legacy of the Troubles, with veterans, politicians and campaigners sharply divided over the path forward.
Full text of the letter:
A Message to Labour MPs from the SAS Regimental Association
The Special Air Service Regimental Association welcomes Wednesday’s written statement by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and his evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR), which exposed the extent to which the Troubles Bill is unfit for purpose. As previously stated, we will defend our members and our interests with a robust legal challenge should the Government not change course. That would pit the SAS Regimental Association against the Government in Court, the optics of which would be catastrophic.
The delay demonstrates that the Bill is currently unworkable. As you will be aware, serious concerns regarding the Bill have been shared by many interested parties including retired Generals, the Veterans Commissioners and veterans’ groups.
Despite repeated assurances from Hillary Benn, we must emphasise that the Government’s current much vaunted “protections” do not actually safeguard veterans sufficiently. The SAS Regimental Association made detailed proposals for amendments needed to achieve the required safeguards more than four months ago. It is still not clear whether the amendments will be adopted before Committee stage and no draft text has been shared with us as promised. Special Forces veterans have no confidence that a suitably amended Bill will be ready early in the next session of Parliament.
Many others, including many of your colleagues in Parliament, have serious doubts about the Bills’ efficacy. It is time for the Government to recognise how flawed the Bill is and to rethink its strategy for dealing with the legacy of the Troubles, which currently uses veterans as pawns and emboldens the use of lawfare against Operation Banner veterans. Last week’s Court of Appeal ruling in relation to Coagh illustrates the impact of this lawfare. Soldier B has been dragged through the Courts for six years in a case with no merit, which both the High Court and the Lady Chief Justice in the Court of Appeal threw out, criticising the misuse of public funds to pursue the case.
Soldiers who served in Northern Ireland came from all over the country and many veterans and current serving members are your constituents. We write more in sorrow than anger and ask, with the support of the other SF Associations, that on Monday you vote against carrying over the Bill or abstain. To do otherwise will risk prolonging not only the disgraceful persecution of veterans who deserve better from the State they served but also the suffering of the families of victims of terrorist violence. The Bill and the continuing lawfare it will enable risks seriously undermining our national security when we are facing the most perilous times since the end of the Cold War.