Government to shut down £60 million Iraq war veterans inquiry

Pic:Sir Michael Fallon said the £60 million probe will end in the summer
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 A £60 million Government inquiry into allegations against Iraq war veterans will be shut down within months.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) will close in the summer and around 20 cases will be dealt with by the Royal Navy Police.

The decision comes in the wake of a scathing report by the Defence committee who said the probe subjected serving and retired troops to "deeply disturbing" treatment.

MPs set out a litany of failures about the way the Ministry of Defence, which created IHAT, has handled the probe.

They blamed the department for empowering law firms to generate cases that lacked credibility on an "industrial scale".

And they criticised it for "serious" failings after it handed over more than £110,829 to Abu Jamal, an Iraqi middleman, while he was employed by Public Interest Lawyers (PIL), the defunct firm behind many of the claims.

Phil Shiner, who ran PIL, has been struck off after being found to have acted dishonestly in bringing murder and torture claims against Iraq war veterans.

The committee said it was "deeply concerned" the MoD had used public funds to cover the costs of those who were bringing "spurious and unassessed" cases against the war veterans and about the lack of support for those accused.

IHAT investigators used "intimidatory tactics", including "deeply disturbing" methods such as impersonating the police. Serving and retired soldiers have also been spied on, the report found.

The damning report said the catalogue of serious failings in IHAT's conduct pointed to a loss of control in its management.

It added: "Both the MoD and IHAT have focused too much on satisfying the accusers and too little on defending those under investigation."

IHAT was set up by Labour in 2010 to assess claims of abuse by Iraqi civilians against troops who had served there.

It started out with 165 cases but the allegations rocketed. Most were generated by two law firms, PIL and Leigh Day.

The report states: "It is clear to us that legal firms were empowered by the MoD's approach to IHAT to generate cases against service personnel at an industrial level. The MoD cannot claim that it has been a victim of the industry; nor can it claim that it had no way of foreseeing the creation of this industry."

The Government said it had not been able to shut down IHAT sooner because the conduct of the investigations is under scrutiny by the High Court and the International Criminal Court.

Sir Michael said: "It was the MoD that supplied the main evidence that got Phil Shiner struck off for making false allegations against our Armed Forces. Exposing his dishonesty means many more claims he made can now be thrown out and the beginning of the end for IHAT.

"This will be a relief for our soldiers who have had allegations hanging over them for too long. Now we are taking action to stop such abuse of our legal system from happening again."

MPs were told that the war veterans had been "hung out to dry", with one becoming a recluse, because there had been a lack of military support.

"While the cost to the taxpayer is significant, the psychological and actual cost to individual soldiers is arguably greater," the report states.

"Their lives have been put on hold and their careers damaged, sometimes for years, because of allegations made against them - in many cases without any credible supporting evidence. The effects of this on the British military are profound and enduring."

The Defence subcommittee inquiry, chaired by former army captain Johnny Mercer, said Iraq veterans had been treated in an "unacceptable manner as a result of serving the United Kingdom".

"Throughout this process there has been an almost total disregard of the welfare of soldiers and their families," the Conservative MP said.

Chief of the General Staff General Sir Nicholas Carter said: "The army's leadership code requires the highest values and standards. It is right therefore that on the occasions that there are credible allegations of unacceptable behaviour they should be investigated.

"However, a significant number of claims made against our soldiers have not been credible. The recent exposure of unscrupulous law firms and vexatious claims has clearly shown this to be the case.”

Labour frontbenchers who defied Jeremy Corbyn over Brexit bill will not be sacked

Pic:MPs wait to hear the result read out
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Labour frontbenchers who defied Jeremy Corbyn over the Brexit bill will not be sacked. 

MPs from the Labour leader’s Shadow Cabinet who defied the three-line whip will instead receive a written warning.

The move emerged after the party’s chief whip Nick Brown met with Mr Corbyn to discuss how to handle disciplinary action after more than 50 MPs ignored the leader's orders and voted against triggering Article 50.

Labour sources said that given the "extraordinary circumstances" of the referendum aftermath rebels will receive a written warning, and will be expected not to defy a three-line whip again.

Sources said that Mr Corbyn believes it will "not be viable" for someone to remain in the Shadow Cabinet if they ignore a three-line whip again.

Mr Corbyn is clear that this is the "final warning" to Brexit rebels on the issue, the source said.

The House voted in favour of the bill by 494 to 122 - a majority of 372 – on Wednesday night.

The key vote caused more problems for Labour than the Prime Minister as Mr Corbyn faced another revolt in his own ranks.

In a renewed wave of defiance against Mr Corbyn 52 Labour MPs voted against the bill at final reading, five more than voted against it as second reading last week.

Senior frontbencher Clive Lewis sensationally resigned as shadow business secretary ahead of the vote as he said he could not back the Article 50 bill.

A total of 11 Labour junior shadow ministers and three whips, who are meant to enforce party discipline, voted against triggering Article 50.

The frontbenchers were Rosena Allin-Khan, Kevin Brennan, Lyn Brown, Ruth Cadbury, Rupa Huq, Chi Onwurah, Stephen Pound, Andy Slaughter, Catherine West, Alan Whitehead and Daniel Zeichner.

The whips were Thangam Debbonaire, Vicky Foxcroft and Jeff Smith.

Sadiq Khan urged to back national memorial to HIV victims in London

Pic:Ash Kotak with Caroline PIdgeon from the Lib Dems and the Greens' Sian Berry 
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Sadiq Khan is being urged to back a national memorial in London for people have died from HIV and Aids.

The memorial, which got cross-party backing from the London Assembly this week, would pay tribute to the men, women and children who passed away in the UK and abroad.

Campaigners are now urging the mayor and government ministers to back and fund the project.

Ash Kotak started campaigning after his partner died from the disease in 1995. In the decades since, he said close friends and family members had also become victims of the epidemic.  

Alongside the campaign group Gay Men Fighting Aids, Mr Kotak set up a petition which has been signed by more than 3,300 supporters.

He told the Standard: “Today, whilst much stigma remains, memories fade and mental health issues continue with some living with HIV.

“A fitting immovable memorial stamps a solid mark commemorating a tumultuous time in British, London and World History. London is an international city.”

Major cities around the world including New York, Paris, Hong Kong and Amsterdam already have a memorial but campaigners are angry that London doesn’t.

Supporter Sian Berry, who presented the petition to the London Assembly, said: “London was at the heart of this country’s Aids epidemic which affected so many people, their loved ones and their friends.

“It’s also where some of the most pioneering treatment and prevention methods are being carried out today.”

She added: “A dedicated memorial would pay to the people we lost, as well as recognising those living with HIV now.”

A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: “Thousands of Londoners from different communities have been affected by HIV and Aids.

“In his manifesto, the mayor promised to renew his focus on the prevention of and screenings for HIV.”

They added: “The mayor believes it is important to commemorate and recognise causes fought for by Londoners of all walks of life.”

In 2015, it was estimated 101,200 people were living with HIV in the UK. Of these, 46 per cent accessed care in London.

50,000 people sign petition urging Theresa May to keep taking lone child refugees

Pic:Lord Dubs arrives at 10 Downing Street with the petition
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A petition signed by 50,000 people calling for Theresa May to continue taking lone child refugees has been handed in to Number 10.

On Saturday former refugee and Labour peer Lord Dubs arrived at Downing Street with the petition urging against the closure of a scheme to bring unaccompanied minors into the UK.

The Government has come under increasing pressure over its decision to scrap the programme, which was expected to facilitate some 3,000 vulnerable youngsters.

Lord Dubs originally strong-armed the commitment from Whitehall by adding an amendment to the Immigration Act in 2016, known as the Dubs amendment.

But ministers have provoked fury by pumping brakes on the scheme after 150 children joined the 200 who have already arrived on British soil.

The move follows a stinging intervention from the Archbishop of Canterbury, who warned that halting the initiative would see more children being trafficked, exploited and killed.

The Most Rev Justin Welby added his voice to the heated political row by saying he was "saddened and shocked" at the move.

He said it would be "deeply unjust" to leave the burden of caring for such children on Italy and Greece, where thousands of refugees and migrants arrive from the conflict-ridden Middle East and north Africa.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said British and French authorities were concerned the scheme was acting as a "pull factor" for children to be drawn to the UK and that it provided opportunities for people-traffickers.

More than 900 unaccompanied children were transferred to the UK from Europe last year.

A Home Office spokesman said the Government was "clear that behind these numbers are children" but that it needed to strike a balance between accepting minors and making sure local councils can support them.

He said: "We are not giving up on vulnerable children who are fleeing conflict and danger.

"Thanks to the goodwill of the British public and local authorities in the last year alone, we have provided refuge or other forms of leave to more than 8,000 children.

"Our commitment to resettle 350 unaccompanied children from Europe is just one way we are helping.

"We have a proud history of offering protection to those who need it and children will continue to arrive in the UK from around the world through our other resettlement schemes and asylum system."