Nigel Farage LIVE: Reform chief to make veterans pledge regardless of skipping main vote
Nigel Farage will announce that a Reform government would pardon British veterans convicted of crimes linked to the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Mr Farage will launch a veterans wing of the party at an event in Westminster this morning. Mr Farage – who came under fire for missing a vote on the subject last week – will argue that British forces were responsible for a small proportion of deaths during the 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland.
A policy document seen by The Telegraph states: “British forces were responsible for a small proportion of deaths during the Conflict in Ireland from 1969-1993 (approximately 11 per cent), and yet the vast majority of the 30 potential inquests into Troubles related killings and around 600 civil cases in the pipeline involve the actions of lawfully deployed British security forces.”
It comes after MPs voted on an order to remove protections giving immunity from prosecution to anyone accused of crimes during the Troubles if they provide information to a truth recovery body.
Starmer says ‘battle of our times’ is against division of Reform
Keir Starmer has said the “battle for our times” will be between a “patriotic Labour government” and the “division of Reform”.
He made the remark as he defended the decision not to allow Andy Burnham to stand as an MP. He warned that the Labour Party must focus its efforts in stopping Mr Farage getting to No10.
Hypocrisy accusation as Chagos letters come to light
A Reform defector has been accused of a “staggering act of hypocrisy” for griping about the Chagos Islands deal despite begging Joe Biden for an almost identical agreement.
Andrew Rosindell penned a letter in 2020 warning Mr Biden that failure to “decolonise” Chagos was causing international anger. He voiced his hopes that the US would help bring an end to “historic injustices” – and said Britain was committed to returning the islands to Mauritius.
At the weekend Mr Rosindell quit the Tories for Reform, claiming Conservative failure to hold the Government to account over Chagos was a “clear red line” for him.
Farage missed a big vote on this issue, Tory points out
Shadow armed forces minister Mark Francois said the Conservatives have been “defending those who defended us” for “years”.
“As someone who has campaigned consistently on this issue for almost a decade, I welcome support from other parties, even belatedly,” he said. “However, the Conservatives have voted repeatedly in Parliament to oppose Labour’s assault on our 2023 Legacy Act – which actually protects NI Veterans – including last Wednesday, when Farage and [Robert] Jenrick didn’t even bother to vote, to defend our Vets. Where were they instead?”
As it currently stands, the Legacy Act offers immunity from prosecution to anyone accused of crimes during the Troubles in Northern Ireland if they provide information to a truth recovery body. While the Legacy Act was approved in 2023, it was not enacted.
The then-Conservative government began the process of appealing against the High Court decision, but this was dropped by Labour ministers after the 2024 general election.
More than 3,500 people died during 30 years of bloodshed and bombings known as the Troubles, which began in January 1969 when the UK government sent troops to Northern Ireland.
