NIGEL FARAGE'S proposal to “pardon” British Army veterans who were convicted of Troubles era crimes has been branded “outrageous” by a Northern Irish MP.
In a speech delivered yesterday, the Reform UK leader pledged to grant “royal pardons” for convicted Troubles veterans should his party be voted into government.
“Our armed forces are something we should be immensely proud of, they are something the rest of the world looks up to,” he said in a livestreamed event in London held to launch a Veterans for Reform party group.
“Under this government they are under serious threat and serious assault,” he added before referencing the case of former British Army soldier Dennis Hutchings.
Mr Hutchings died in 2020 while on trial for the attempted murder of John Patrick Cunningham in Benburb, Co. Armagh in 1974.
Mr Cunningham was shot in the back as he ran away from an army patrol at the height of the Troubles period in Northern Ireland.
Mr Hutchings, who was 80 at the time of his death, denied all the charges against him.
“Never again must there be a case like that of Dennis Hutchings,” Farage said.
“I have said already in those difficult, dangerous and tense environments that we faced in Northern Ireland, he was hounded until the day he died whilst every IRA terrorist faces no prospect of prosecutions whatsoever."
He added: “I am pleased that we have peace in Northern Ireland but we are beginning to see that some of the surrenders that were made from the Belfast Agreement and onwards by the Blair government have led to this ridiculous situation.
“If we are going to absolve those who potentially were terrorists 50 years ago then the very least we can do is to absolve not just the memory of Dennis Hutchings but all those now and in the future who may go through that process.
“And to that end, I promise you that a Reform government will end all of these vexatious claims taken against our veterans from conflict after conflict.
“And to those who have been found guilty under very dubious codes of the Human Rights Act we will grant a royal pardon of mercy on their name.”
Sinn Féin MP John Finucane has branded the proposals “outrageous”.
“At a time when so many families are still fighting for truth, justice and rights-based legacy processes, this is yet another outrageous suggestion from British politicians,” the North Belfast MP said in a statement issued last night.
“Time and again, English politicians of all stripes demonstrate the contempt they hold for victims of the British state,” he explained.
“These families, simply seeking truth and justice, have, in many cases, waited for over five decades.
“Legacy legislation must command the confidence of victims and families, be human rights compliant, and be rooted in the principles agreed at Stormont House.”
See More: Nigel Farage, Reform UK, Sinn Féin, Troubles, Veternas
