Sir Keir Starmer will tomorrow be accused of preparing to restart a ‘conveyor belt of injustice’ against British veterans of the Troubles.
The Prime Minister will face claims that he is putting his ‘obsession with human rights’ over the rights of ageing UK ex-servicemen.
Ministers will face fury at a debate in Westminster over their decision to repeal the Tories’ 2023 Legacy Act, which was designed to end a legal witch hunt against soldiers who served in Northern Ireland.
The debate is being held after nearly 170,000 people signed a petition calling on the Government not to allow veterans to be prosecuted for ‘doing their duty in combating terrorism’ during the Troubles.
Sir Keir insisted last week that he had to make changes because the Conservative legislation had been ruled unlawful and had granted immunity to terrorists.
The PM also said that the law hadn’t been supported by communities in Northern Ireland.
Government sources are privately raising hopes that in any new allegations, British troops would not be dragged through inquests and the legal system, but instead dealt with by an independent commission.
But last night Tories hit back at what has been condemned by critics as ‘two-tier justice’, with fears that terror suspects would be treated more lightly than ex-servicemen.
Former Cabinet minister Sir David Davis said: ‘The only acceptable policy is one that shuts down this witch hunt of patriotic and honourable soldiers once and for all.
‘These soldiers put their lives at risk to defend our country and stop the murderous rampage of the IRA and other terrorist groups.’
And ex-defence minister Mark Francois said: ‘The Labour Government is now threatening to restart a potential conveyor belt of injustice against brave British veterans. As veterans have said, this is two-tier justice all because of Keir Starmer’s obsession with human rights.’
In an article for LBC, Mr Francois warned that Labour’s proposals would make it easier for ex-Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams to sue the Government over wrongful detention.
The Legacy Act had blocked Mr Adams and others interned without trial in the 1970s from claiming compensation.
However, Sir Keir said last week he would find ‘every conceivable way’ to stop Mr Adams or similar claimants getting damages.
The Mail’s Stop the SAS Betrayal campaign is pressing the Government to halt the repeal of the Legacy Act or table a proper alternative.
In the Commons last week, Northern Ireland veterans looked on as Sir David thanked them for ‘their ‘courage in defending our country and our democracy against the first scourge of terrorism’.
But he warned that if the Government get the revised legacy legislation wrong, ‘at least 50 innocent retired veterans will be exposed to legal persecution for crimes they did not commit’.
Sir David told MPs: ‘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.’
He added: ‘Our soldiers were held to the highest standards of law.
‘The IRA were not; they tortured, shot men in the back, forced families to watch their menfolk being murdered, and killed women and children with bombs.
‘Yet we are willing to prosecute our own men, who were forced to make life-and-death decisions in split seconds.’
And he threw down a challenge to Ministers, saying: ‘On Monday, when we debate this matter in Westminster Hall, will the Government protect our veterans, or will they sacrifice them to politically motivated lawyers who are trying to rewrite history with a pack of lies?’
But last night, a Labour spokesman insisted the Government would support the servicemen who took part in the British Armed Forces’ ‘Operation Banner’ deployment in Northern Ireland which last from 1969 to 2007.
The spokesman told the Mail on Sunday: ‘This Government’s commitment to our Operation Banner veterans who served with honour and distinction is unshakeable.
‘We will always support them and will put in place the strongest possible protections.
‘The Tories’ unlawful Legacy Act made false and undeliverable promises to our veterans about immunity and blocked investigations into the unsolved killings of British troops in Northern Ireland.
‘That is why the Legacy Act was opposed by many, including Armed Forces families who lost relatives serving in Northern Ireland.
‘Any incoming government would have had to fix it.’
