Northern Ireland

Veterans say Armed Forces Minister put career over country as they protest Troubles law

Tory MP slams plans to replace NI Legacy Act

Veterans protesting against the Government's plans to replace the controversial Legacy Act have accused Armed Forces Minister Al Carns of betraying them in favour of being promoted.

Paul Young, the national spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Veterans Movement, which organised the protest, said many veterans "feel he’s sold himself out for a ministerial position".

A special forces veteran known only as Soldier Z also said in a letter that Mr Carns had provided "continuous and disingenuous reassurance" to veterans of the conflict, which was brought to an end through the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Mr Carns was appointed Minister for Veterans and People in July 2024, a role in which he served for just over a year before being promoted to Minister for the Armed Forces in September 2025.

He joined the military as a teenager, served four tours in Afghanistan and was awarded the Military Cross. He left the Royal Marines to stand as an MP.

Carns responds to accusations of selling out

Speaking to BFBS Forces News about Mr Carns, Mr Young said: "He was on resignation watch and people respected him for that… then suddenly he was promoted… and backing something he was supposed to be on resignation watch for, so people see that and they think he’s sold himself out for a position and changed his tune completely."

Soldier Z’s letter echoes this sentiment, reading: "The continuous and disingenuous reassurance from Minister Carns and others that they have put safeguards in place in reality do nothing to prevent the enemies of the state from using our own legal system against us.

"They are effectively handing them the ability to make vexatious claims against our men and women at any point in their lives, with scant regard for evidence or credible proof."

In response to the criticism, Mr Carns said: "We promised our veterans who served with honour in Northern Ireland that we would put proper protections in place, and our legislation delivers on that commitment.

"After the false promises of the last government, we are putting in place six real, workable protections for veterans that the failed Legacy Act never did. We will not allow the process, like so many times before, to become the punishment for our veterans.

"Having served for 24 years and as a serving reservist myself, I understand the importance of avoiding an endless cycle of investigations.

"These robust safeguards will ensure the rights of those who served their nation so honourably are protected whilst providing families with a fair and transparent system to seek answers."

Veterans traveled by motorbike to attend the protest, which coincided with the second reading of the Troubles Bill in Parliament

Winnie looks on

Beneath the statue of Winston Churchill on Parliament Square, dozens of veterans joined a protest to voice their anger at the Government over the proposed legislative changes passing through Parliament.

The group said they would be sitting in the public gallery to watch MPs debate the bill.

Their action coincided with another protest in Whitehall by farmers opposed to the Government’s changes to inheritance tax rules, meaning Westminster played host to a crowd of bikers, veterans, farmers and a two-year-old brown Limousin cow called Vicky, who some of the veterans took pictures with.

Martin Williams, who helped to organise the farmers' protest, told BFBS Forces News: "We are sympathetic to their cause, I support their opposition to the bill."

Veteran protesters were joined by supporters from the farmers' protest movement, who are angry with the government over changes to inheritance tax

Francois says no to two-tier justice

Under the new Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, the Labour Government plans to scrap immunity for soldiers who served during the Troubles by changing the Legacy Act introduced by the last Conservative government.

Parts of the act were criticised by all of Northern Ireland's political parties, victims' groups and the Irish government.

UK courts also rejected parts of the previous bill, amid concerns the immunity scheme would have had to apply to terrorist suspects too.

Nicola Batty, a member of the Northern Ireland Veterans Movement who served for five years in the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, told me her message to MPs in the debate is to "please abstain from voting".

She said she believes this bill means that "every single veteran that ever fired a weapon in Northern Ireland could be waiting for that knock on the door".

Ms Batty said she was "absolutely disgusted" that Mr Carns didn’t resign and that he is supporting the bill.

Earlier, Shadow Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois told BFBS Forces News that the Government's plans to replace the Legacy Act would restart a "conveyor belt" of investigations against veterans.

The Conservative MP also said his opposition to the new bill was about avoiding "two-tier justice".