Cllr Connor Payne, the Conservative Somerset Councillor for Chard South, has called on the Liberal Democrat MP for Yeovil & South Somerset, Adam Dance, to explain his decision to vote for changes to protections for veterans who served in Northern Ireland.
Last week, Adam Dance MP voted in the House of Commons on the Northern Ireland (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023 (Remedial) Order 2025, which removes the Act’s conditional immunity provisions and reopens the possibility of criminal prosecution and civil claims relating to service during the Troubles – essentially, removing protection from prosecution for veterans who served in Northern Ireland.
Speaking as both a councillor and a constituent, Cllr Payne said:
“As one of Adam Dance’s constituents, I feel insulted by his decision to support measures that reopen the prospect of prosecution for veterans who served in Northern Ireland. In Somerset, we have a significant military and veteran community, and many residents have contacted me expressing real anxiety about what this vote could mean for them and their families. They, like me, are angry and hurt by Adam’s decision to vote in favour of this order.”
“In my own family, I have a close relative who served in Northern Ireland during the 1990s. Like many veterans, he believed that Parliament had finally drawn a line under events that took place decades ago, allowing those who served to live without the fear of renewed legal action. That sense of certainty has now been shaken.”
Cllr Payne stressed that the issue is not about avoiding accountability, but about fairness and proportionality:
“The legacy of Northern Ireland is complex, painful, and unresolved in many respects. But there is widespread concern that reopening cases risks placing a one‑sided burden on former service personnel, many of whom acted lawfully under the instructions of the state and have already been investigated multiple times.”
Referring to the fact that other Liberal Democrats also voted in favour of the remedial order, he added:
“The late Paddy Ashdown understood these dilemmas better than most. Having served in Northern Ireland himself under Operation Banner and commanded British troops in Belfast, he would have recognised both the importance of the rule of law and the responsibility Parliament owes to those it sent into harm’s way. I struggle to believe he would have supported measures that risk prolonging uncertainty for ageing veterans without clear safeguards. Lib Dem MPs did Paddy a disservice that day, so perhaps the time for pretending to be his moral successor is over.”
Cllr Payne said he was calling not for rhetoric, but for clarity:
“Constituents deserve to know why their MP felt it was right to support this remedial order. What assurances can he offer to veterans in Yeovil & South Somerset that they will not be subject to repeated investigations or legal action decades after their service?”
“In my division of Chard South alone, I have heard anger, worry, and genuine distress from residents who feel that old wounds have been reopened. These concerns should not be dismissed as political point‑scoring.”
He concluded:
“This is an issue that affects not only veterans, but their families and wider communities. I am therefore asking Adam Dance to set out clearly his reasoning for this vote, how he believes it serves the interests of our local veteran community, and what protections he believes remain in place. That explanation is owed to constituents across Yeovil & South Somerset.”
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