Starmer should apologise to Iraq veterans ‘harassed through courts’ – Badenoch

Sir Keir Starmer should apologise to veterans over his role as a barrister in reshaping the law governing troops in war zones, Kemi Badenoch has said.

The Prime Minister worked free of charge in 2007 on a human rights claim that led to fresh inquiries into deaths in Iraq and hundreds of soldiers facing criminal investigations, The Telegraph reported.

The Tory leader said “the way that our veterans have been harassed through the courts is a complete disgrace” when asked about the report at a central London press conference on Wednesday.

She also criticised the Government’s plans to repeal immunity provisions in Northern Ireland legacy legislation, which could see British Army veterans face prosecution for their conduct during the Troubles.

Asked whether Sir Keir should say sorry to Iraq veterans dragged through further legal wranglings, Mrs Badenoch said: “Yes, I believe that the way that our veterans have been harassed through the courts is a complete disgrace.

“We have been doing everything we can to protect them. What Labour is doing with this legislation, it is doing because it does not believe in our veterans.

“Whether it’s Keir Starmer or his Attorney General Lord Hermer, where they have had the opportunity – pro bono, not cab rank – they have gone to help the people who are acting against our country’s national interests.

“Those veterans put their lives on the line to defend us and I want them to know that the Conservative Party will always have their back.”

The Telegraph said Sir Keir was involved in the case which paved the way for years of criminal investigations into troops who had been wrongly accused.

Tory former veterans minister Johnny Mercer accused Sir Keir of “unleashing the witch hunt against British troops” in an article for the paper.

Downing Street stressed that Sir Keir did not represent Iraqi families in the case as the newspaper claimed, but instead acted on behalf of interveners, including the Law Society of England and Wales.

His role therefore was to “assist the court on points of law, not to advocate for either side”, a No 10 spokesperson said.

They also pointed to Sir Keir’s condemnation of Donald Trump’s claim that Nato troops stayed away from the front lines in Afghanistan as “insulting and frankly appalling”.

The Prime Minister also did not act as a lead barrister on the case or work alongside the now-disgraced solicitor Phil Shiner as reported, it is understood.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: “As the Prime Minister made clear last week, he will never forget the courage, bravery and sacrifice made for their country by British servicemen and women.

“During his career, the Prime Minister has represented British soldiers who were killed in action and were wrongly accused.

“The Prime Minister did not represent the claimants in this case. He represented interveners, including the Law Society of England and Wales.

“The role of an intervener is to assist the court on points of law, not to advocate for either side.

“The Prime Minister was not involved in the subsequent case heard in the European Court of Human Rights.”