'It risks everything!' Keir Starmer accused of undermining British Army in fresh human rights row

The group claimed the collapse in trust is a "direct threat to national security" and suggest it has sparked an exodus from the special forces.

In the letter, which has been published by The Times, the nine four-star generals said: “Today every British soldier deployed must consider not only the enemy in front of them but the lawyer behind them.

“Make no mistake, our closest allies are watching uneasily, and our enemies will be rubbing their hands.”

The generals also claim the collapse in confidence is a direct consequence of "lawfare", which they define as “the use of legal processes to fight political or ideological battles”.

The European Convention on Human Rights was identified as a sticking point for Armed Forces personnel.

Soldiers have become increasingly fearful about the Strasbourg convention “paralysing decision-making, distorting rules of engagement and deterring initiative”.

The nine signatories include three former chiefs of the general staff, and ex-deputy Nato supreme allied commanders, and a former chief of the air staff.

A source close to the generals told The Times: “This is an existential issue for the armed forces and our nation’s fighting effectiveness, but the government is refusing to recognise it despite all the overwhelming evidence presented to them.

"The generals have decided the time has come for them to publicly stand up and be counted in the hope their voices help."

Sir Keir and his Attorney General Lord Hermer have now been urged to disapply the European Convention on Human Rights and the UK’s own Human Rights Act from troops’ actions while on active service in the UK and globally.

There is particular concern about Sir Keir's Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, which will allow a series of new investigations into military actions in the province over the three-decade-long war against the IRA that ended in 1997.

Labour's attempt to scrap the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act in 2023 has already sparked a major backlash, with more than 200,000 signing a petition to protect soldiers who fought as part of Operation Banner.

However, the nine four-stars now insist the problem “now extends far beyond Northern Ireland”, warning lawfare targets anyone in uniform on active service anywhere in the world.

The Prime Minister is facing growing calls to disapply the ECHR amid concerns it has also stifled Britain's ability to deport dangerous foreign nationals and stop the Channel crossing crisis.

Ex-Home Secretary Jack Straw called on Sir Keir to "decouple" from the Strasbourg convention.

Meanwhile, Labour MP Graham Stringer called for the complete withdrawal to curb Channel crossings.

Despite pressure growing from within the Labour Party, Lord Hermer appeared to compare critics of the ECHR to Nazis earlier this year.

The Ministry of Defence has also rejected accusations made by the group of four-star generals and instead insisted the new Northern Ireland Bill includes "robust safeguards" to protect veterans.

A Government spokesman said: “We promised our veterans who served with honour in Northern Ireland that we would put proper protections in place, and the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill delivers on that commitment.

“After the false promises of the last government, we are putting in place six real, workable protections for veterans that the failed Legacy Act never did.

"We will not allow the process, like so many times before, to become the punishment for our veterans.

"These robust safeguards will ensure the rights of those who served their nation so honourably are protected whilst providing victims with a human rights compliant, fair, and transparent system to seek answers.”