Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Keir Starmer, Britain’s prime minister, are expected to hold talks this week, possibly on Thursday, after the UK government’s plan to scrap Legacy Act immunity for British soldiers and others sparked a revolt within the Labour Party.
Mr Starmer’s Labour government had promised to effectively repeal and redraft the Act, which was found by a court in the North to be incompatible with human rights law.
The Irish Government had also lobbied hard against the Act, passed in 2023 by the Tories even though it was opposed by both sides of the community in the North.
However, the plan to withdraw immunity, potentially opening up soldiers and others to prosecution for acts committed during the Troubles, has become politically controversial in Britain.
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Alistair Carns, the Labour government’s veterans minister and a former royal marine, has threatened to resign if British soldiers are stripped of immunity.
Labour backbenchers in working-class constituencies with big numbers of former soldiers, notably in England’s midlands and north, also expressed concern.
That led to fears in Downing Street of yet another backbench rebellion should it press ahead. Revolts from the backbenches have already forced the UK government into embarrassing U-turns on welfare cuts.
Some of the most restive Labour MPs are in constituencies where Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is their biggest electoral threat.
Labour MPs who spoke to The Irish Times speculated Downing Street could reverse the plan to replace the Act or water any redraft down to prevent a rebellion.
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Colum Eastwood, SDLP MP for Foyle in Derry, challenged Mr Starmer over the issue at prime minister’s questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
He said the prime minister had gone to the North to meet victims’ families and “looked people in the eye and promised them that no murderer will be immune from prosecution”.
He asked Mr Starmer to “recommit” to the repeal plan. The prime minister responded: “Can I begin by saying I have a profound respect and debt to our veterans who served” in the North. This prompted exasperation from Tory benches. One MP could be heard exclaiming: “For f**k sake.”
The prime minister did not directly respond to Mr Eastwood’s exhortation to recommit, although he repeatedly referred to it as the “failed Legacy Act” and the promise of immunity as “false”.
He also said, however, that veterans would be protected from “unjustified persecution”.
Officials were working on plans for Mr Martin and Mr Starmer to speak on Thursday or later in the week if necessary.
An Irish government source said engagement is ongoing and the Government’s priority is to assist victims and families. If the UK government backtracks on its plan, however, officials speculated it would cause friction between the two governments.
