New Troubles legacy deal won’t protect paramilitaries, Starmer says

LONDON — A new Troubles legacy deal will protect British army veterans but not paramilitaries, Sir Keir Starmer said on BBC News NI as the UK and Irish governments outlined the framework for addressing decades of violence.

Starmer said progress had been made on the issue, adding: "We have made a provision for veterans in relation to it, the protections have been put in place."

When asked whether the protections would apply to everyone who comes forward, including paramilitaries, he replied: "No, it's for veterans."

Starmer noted that the arrangements must be workable in practice and that the next step is the necessary legislation to take the plan forward.

"I want this to work," he said, recalling his five years working in Northern Ireland and saying accountability, truth and justice matter to all victims. He argued that "other governments have failed on this, the last government badly."

News of the plan included the appointment of Fleur Ravensbergen, a Dutch conflict resolution expert based at the University of Amsterdam, to explore the merits of talking to paramilitary groups about disbandment. She could meet representatives of loyalist and republican organisations in the coming months and will deliver a report next August.

Starmer said those paramilitaries are still having impact and effect in some communities, which he called intolerable, and that the role of Ravensbergen is to alleviate that suffering while not soft-pedaling on accountability.

The prime minister denied his leadership was "hanging by a thread" amid reports that Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is preparing a leadership challenge.

The new deal was announced by Tánaiste Simon Harris and NI Secretary Hilary Benn on Friday.

A BBC News NI political analysis later described the day as a test of Starmer's leadership, with back-to-back interviews by regional editors delving into the Troubles legacy and the party's strategy in Northern Ireland.

Starmer defended engaging with those paramilitary groups still active in communities, saying the "sole purpose of the process" is to alleviate the fear felt by residents, while maintaining a firm stance on accountability.

He refused to be drawn on whether people in Northern Ireland should be able to vote in the Irish presidential election, noting that the issue "needs to be worked through."

The day also highlighted the political pressures surrounding Starmer, with questions about leadership and the party's direction ahead of the next general election in four years. He asserted that he would lead the party into that contest and would face down any challengers, including the Manchester mayor if one arises.

Analysts cautioned that the details would be settled in legislation expected within weeks, and that the success of the deal would depend on how the protections are implemented in practice and how disbursements and controls are designed.