Furious Northern Ireland veterans have dismissed changes to the controversial Troubles Bill as 'window dressing', arguing it paves the way for prosecutions of elderly troops.
Soldiers in their seventies and eighties, who have been harassed by lawyers for decades, will still face politically-driven court cases and coroners' hearings under the redrafted Bill.
Former Blues and Royals Lance Corporal Paul Young said Labour were using 'gimmicks' to distract the military community while failing to provide clarity on the key issues.
Among the changes is the inclusion of a clause stating that suspected terrorists cannot rely on 'comfort letters' – issued by Sir Tony Blair as part of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement – which told on the run Republicans and Loyalists that investigations into their activities were being suspended.
While the legal status of the letters has long been contested, the Troubles Bill confirms for the first time those terrorists cannot use the letters as protection against prosecution.
Another eye-catching clause in the Troubles Bill redraft states that there is no equivalence between law-abiding soldiers and terrorists.
The veterans group Rolling Thunder (pictured) are expected to converge on Westminster in the coming days as former troops increase pressure on Labour ministers to meet their demands regarding the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill. They argue if it becomes law elderly soldiers will be subjected to further legal persecution.
Northern Ireland veterans have repeatedly gathered in central London for peaceful marches intended to raise awareness of their plight. Ex-soldiers are being hounded over incidents they can scarcely remember that happened during the Troubles decades ago.
Meanwhile as part of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement Republican and Loyalist terrorists who committed attrocities resulting in the deaths of innocent civilians received 'comfort letters' are were told investigations into their activities were ceasing. For the first time it has been confirmed the letters cannot be used as protection from prosecutions.
More significantly for veterans, at least eight inquests relating to decades-old incidents in Northern Ireland are expected to go ahead as a result of the Troubles Bill.
Meanwhile, many could face fresh prosecutions based on evidence that meets a test of being 'new and compelling'.
Labour also ignored their plea that a Supreme Court judge should decide whether or not a soldier should face trial.
Instead, the Government has said the choice should rest with the Attorney General, a political appointment. A recent former Attorney General was human rights lawyer Lord Hermer, who previously represented Afghan families seeking compensation from the UK.
Lance Corporal Young, a prominent campaigner for veterans, told the Daily Mail: 'There is a lot of window dressing and gimmickry here and not enough clarity. We need to know what a lot of these terms mean in practice.
'The fundamentals have not been addressed. There is no end in sight to the lawfare. Every legal action that has already been brought will carry on with more to come.
'The Attorney General is absolutely not acceptable as it could be someone from the same background as Lord Hermer.
'The inquests that will go ahead include hearings into SAS operations at Loughgall in 1987, where its soldiers thwarted an IRA ambush on a police station.
'The Republicans are trying to rewrite history and put soldiers in the dock, using their proxy-legal groups. Soldiers remain exposed.'
Last night, Government sources said the changes to the Troubles Bill covered 80 per cent of concerns raised by veterans' groups, including SASRA, the Special Air Service Regimental Association.
Sources added that the remaining 20 per cent includes requests such as the appointment of a Supreme Court judge and where different groups demanded different outcomes.
The Government says the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill will provide lasting protections to ensure former troops and police officers are treated with fairness, decency and respect.
The comprehensive package follows months of engagement with associations to ensure 'robust and permanent safeguards', according to a government source.
Last night, Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant said: 'This Bill is about completing the unfinished business of the Good Friday Agreement, getting answers for families, including veterans' families who lost a loved one.
'We have introduced a significant package of amendments. I am confident that this legislation will be a significant step towards a more reconciled society.'
More than 300,000 British troops served in Northern Ireland under Operation Banner over three decades. In that time nearly 1,800 members of the security services died. So too thousands of civilians, the vast majority due to paramilitary violence.'
The Troubles Bill replaces the Conservatives' Legacy Act, championed by former veterans minister Johnny Mercer, which offered conditional immunity against prosecutions and halted civil claims and inquests.
As part of the Troubles Bill, coroners and officials staffing a fact finding commission will be mandated to evaluate soldiers' actions within an operational context, such as the necessity to make split-second decisions under fire.
According to the Government there will be no duplication of legal processes that have already taken place unless it is absolutely necessary. The Government, rather than the veteran, will also answer questions posed by claimants.
Regarding the failure to stop ongoing cases, the Government said it did not wish to undermine existing legal processes.
The Troubles Bill includes incidents that occurred outside Northern Ireland that were associated with the conflict, such as IRA bombings on the mainland and the SAS's ambush of three IRA operatives in Gibraltar in 1988.