Reports are emerging from a former head of the Army that legislation promised by Boris Johnson to protect military veterans from prosecution has been discarded from the Queen’s Speech and will be replaced with a favour of laws on ‘sustainable cat litter’. Whilst campaigning to become the leader of the Conservative party Boris Johnson promised to end the “witch hunt” of soldiers over historic allegations dating back to the troubles in Northern Ireland as well as in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In spite of this reports are emerging that the Prime Minister has been persuaded to omit the legislation from Monday’s Queen’s Speech after taking advice from Number 10 advisers and officials in the Northern Ireland Office. The proposed law by the now PM would have included a statutory presumption against prosecution for any service personnel for alleged offences committed in the course of duty more than 10 years ago. However, a Whitehall source has told the Telegraph: “You will find more about sustainable cat litter in the Queen’s Speech than you will about veterans.”
The source states that: “Boris wanted it in there but the people around him showed a lack of interest in having it included in the Queen’s Speech.” In addition to this General Lord Dannatt, a former chief of the general staff has stated that he is “very disappointed” at the reports. Lord Dannatt told the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme: “It is a really major issue here which the Government has got to address. It is unacceptable that serving soldiers, particularly large numbers of former soldiers, run the risk of prosecution as a result of operations conducted worldwide and including in Northern Ireland.”
Veterans minister and former soldier Johnny Mercer was asked on Twitter what he thought of the news, his response was “Let’s see.” Currently, there are understood to be four former Army servicemen facing prosecution for murder and attempted murder, whilst risking their lives in Britain’s armed forces, with up to 200 veterans under investigation.
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Current Affairs Correspondent | My name is Oliver Down I am 22, and a staunch brexiteer. I am a Bristolian lad who studied politics in Leicester. I believe in free speech and accurate journalism and I won’t be afraid to give you “the other side” of the story!
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