Sinn Féin welcomes Starmer pledge to scrap law protecting NI veterans from prosecution

Sinn Féin has said it “very much” welcomes Labour’s commitment to repeal the Legacy Act that protects British veterans from prosecution after Sir Keir Starmer visited Northern Ireland.

The Prime Minister pledged to ditch the effective amnesty for Troubles-era killers, including British veterans, before his landslide general election victory.

Sir Keir held talks with the leaders of Northern Ireland’s major parties in Stormont in Belfast on Monday morning, during which they questioned him over the legislation and funding for public services in the region.

The Legacy Act halted any new criminal trials and inquiries into Troubles-era crimes and replaced it with an independent commission from May 1. It was pushed through into law by the Conservatives despite opposition from all the major Northern Irish parties, including the DUP and Sinn Féin, and the Republic of Ireland.

While the DUP believes the amnesty will protect Republican terrorists, Sinn Féin believes it is a cover-up for British forces’ crimes.

Mary Lou McDonald, the Sinn Féin leader, said her party had a “very constructive, very friendly” meeting with the Prime Minister. “Issues around the legacy legislation… We very much welcome the commitment to repeal that,” she said after Sinn Féin won the most seats in the general election last week for the first time in Northern Ireland’s history.

The Republic of Ireland has taken the British government to the European Court of Human Rights over the Legacy Act in a rare interstate challenge, arguing it breaches the right to justice.

Sir Keir said he wanted to mend UK-Irish relations, which were badly strained by Brexit and rows with the Tory government, including over the Legacy Act.

He has already spoken to Simon Harris, the Taoiseach, who said on Sunday the new Labour government was a chance to reboot the relationship with the UK. “Of course there are issues, including in relation to [legacy] litigation. But the most important thing is the way in which we will approach this,” Sir Keir said in Belfast, vowing the reset would mean relationships were “collaborative” and “respectful”.

He also promised to bring about an immediate reset in the relationship between Westminster and the devolved nations.

Sir Keir has pledged to agree a veterinary deal with the EU, which will reduce trade barriers between Britain and Northern Ireland caused by the Irish Sea border and post-Brexit trading arrangements.

He also vowed to improve Boris Johnson’s “botched” trade deal with the EU.