Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of "betraying" veterans after opening the door to the prosecution of dozens of former soldiers who served during the Troubles.
The Prime Minister and Attorney General Lord Hermer are prepared to abolish legislation protecting Troubles veterans, with many facing the courts after initially being given immunity for actions committed during service in Northern Ireland.
The Legacy Act, passed in 2023, established the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery and halted new historical inquests into deaths during the Troubles.
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Critics fear that repealing the act will result in "two-tier justice" whereby ex-IRA members would enjoy legal safeguards denied to military veterans.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick told GB News that the decision is a "very significant wrong".
Mr Jenrick said: "It's a disgraceful state of affairs. You have veterans in their 70s and 80s who are now at risk of prosecution and worried about living out the last days of their lives in court for things that happened 50 years ago in a split second."
He spoke with Troubles veteran, David Griffin, who said if he were given the choice, he would never join the army again.
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Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of 'betrayal'
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Accompanying a video posted on X, Mr Jenrick wrote: "David Griffin served in Northern Ireland.
"Tony Blair gave the IRA immunity, but abandoned men like David.
"Now Starmer has opened the door to our veterans being prosecuted. We must stop this betrayal."
Mr Jenrick spoke with Mr Griffin about his risk of prosecution
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The Shadow Justice Secretary went on to accuse Tony Blair of "giving immunity to the IRA terrorists, but not to our veterans".
It has been estimated that 33 inquests would "almost certainly" resume should the act be repealed, according to the Prime Minister's Northern Ireland veterans' tsar.
At time of writing, some 193,000 have signed a petition to protect Northern Ireland Veterans from prosecutions.
Mr Jenrick branded the move from Sir Keir as "two-tier justice", telling the People's Channel: "The terrorists who have been given immunity. Our veterans now face prosecution."
Robert Jenrick said: 'It's a disgraceful state of affairs'
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The Shadow Justice Secretary said that "it sends a terrible message to anyone considering serving our country in the armed forces, particularly in the most hazardous roles, such as within the Special Forces".
He explained: "If you can follow orders, behave in a manner which is constantly entirely legal and proper at the time, and then be prosecuted up to half a century later, why would you serve our country?
"I know that many people within the armed forces, particularly in the special forces, are extremely concerned about the long-term harm this will do to recruitment.
"I completely understand why those servicemen would feel betrayed by this situation."
Mr Griffin is one of dozens of Veterans who are now at risk of prosecution
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Mr Jenrick pushed for Mr Starmer and Lord Hermer to "change course" and "protect" the veterans who served.
He said: "Keir Starmer, Lord Hermer, have a choice in the coming months.
"They are threatening to lay a remedial order, which would have the effect of undoing the immunity which our veterans currently enjoy, and opening up the prospect of compensation being paid to Gerry Adams and IRA terrorists as sympathisers.
"They need to ensure that the immunity that Parliament provided in the last Parliament continues, and then we can protect every single veteran who served in Northern Ireland during the period of the troubles. That's the least that we could do for them."