Al Carns Resigns Over 2026 Troubles Bill as He Calls It Unfit for Veterans

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 12

Al Carns said he quit the government after failing to secure changes to Labour's Troubles legacy bill, saying it remains "unfit for purpose" and could fail the veterans it is meant to protect.
In his resignation letter to Keir Starmer, the former armed forces minister said his red lines were rejected and that he had "run out of room to argue" the case from inside government.
Carns also tied his departure to wider defence concerns, saying ministers were underinvesting in the armed forces and failing both to equip soldiers properly and stand by them afterward.
The Northern Ireland Office defended the bill as a vital fix to the 2023 Legacy Act, said veterans would not be wrongly pursued in court, and promised substantial amendments to strengthen protections.
The dispute centers on Labour's effort to replace parts of the 2023 law—whose conditional immunity scheme is already being repealed—with a new legacy commission, an Irish police unit and other measures.