For months I have been meeting with veterans, pressing Government Ministers, and written directly to the Secretary of State. My message has been clear: we need stronger protections for our veterans in the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.
It’s encouraging to see that Ministers have listened, but there is still so much more to do. We need further reassurances. For our veterans, and to finally bring an end to this cycle of uncertainty.
I am reserving my judgement on this Bill until it gives every veteran the clarity and confidence they need.
Watch my full speech to Parliament and read the transcript here:
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Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.
For my community the Home of the British Army, this debate goes to the heart of our history and who we are.
In Aldershot we remember the 22nd of February 1972, when the IRA detonated a bomb targeting the headquarters of the British Army 16th Parachute Brigade. It was one of the first attacks by the IRA on mainland Britain and took the lives of seven innocent victims.
Father Gerald Weston MBE, Thelma Bosley, Margaret Grant, Joan Lunn, Jill Mansfield, Sherri Munton, and John Hasler. We remember them every year at the memorial that stands in their honour.
We also honour the members of our Armed Forces, who served in Operation Banner, to keep the peace over many decades. I pay tribute to them for their service, including those watching over our debate in the gallery tonight.
I want to thank the Aldershot Parachute Regimental Association, the Royal British Legion, and the many individual veterans, who I’ve been engaging with over many months.
I want the voices of our veterans to be heard in this debate.
Too many families, including hundreds of Armed Forces families, lost loved ones in the Troubles and are still looking for answers. Too many of our veterans have been left completely without legal protections because of the previous government’s legislation which was rejected by the courts.
Ultimately, we are here today because of a decision by the previous government to grant that conditional immunity to terrorists like the terrorists who murdered British soldiers and civilians in my community.
I believe that decision was wrong. These issues need to be addressed.
I voted for this bill at Second Reading so Parliament could debate how we fix these problems, and I’m grateful to both the MoD and the Northern Ireland Ministers for the discussions that they have had with me ever since the legislation was introduced.
But I want to be clear today with my government.
The veterans I have been speaking to over many months still need to be convinced by this legislation. They need further reassurances. And until we see the full package of amendments, I am reserving judgment.
We must get this right.
No veteran who served with honour, following orders in fast-moving most difficult circumstances should be left fearing repeat investigations, and there should be no equivalence between those who served to protect lives, and the terrorists who were only focused on taking lives.
I wrote to the Secretary of State in January, asking for more to be done on these points. I’m encouraged that the government is now committed to strengthening protections for our veterans.
Right now, our veterans have been left with no protections whatsoever.
That needs to change. Our veterans need to be protected by law.
I hope much more can be done in the next session before we reach Third Reading so we can give every veteran clarity and confidence.
Let me conclude with a reflection about what we owe to our veterans who served in Northern Ireland and beyond. Last year I travelled 8,000 miles to pay my respects to those from my community who fought in the Falkland Islands.
The Falklands are British and remain British thanks to their service.
The islanders told me that they owe a debt of gratitude to my community that will never be able to be repaid. We owe a debt to all those who serve our country, now and forever, and I will always have their backs.
Speech delivered on the 27th April 2026
