Addressing the Minister for Northern Ireland John Penrose during a debate on the issue in the House of Commons, Mr Duncan-Smith criticised the Government for failing to represent the interests of former soldiers serving during the Northern Ireland Troubles. Mr Duncan-Smith delivered a speech in which he admits to having lost friends during his service on army operations in Northern Ireland. He said: “Can I just say to the minister I did serve in Northern Ireland and I also served in what was then Rhodesia.

“I got a general service medal for one and a separate campaign medal for the other.

“They were both operations and we were sent to Northern Ireland and I lost friends.

“And I don’t know how I can honestly, with a clean heart, say that my Government represents the best interests of ex-service men and women who have served their country.

“And I simply say to him this simple principle: when natural justice collides with the law, we change the law.”

When natural justice collides with the law, we change the law

Iain Duncan-Smith

It comes as Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt vowed to make ending the persecution of Northern Ireland veterans a priority on Wednesday. 

But Ms Mordaunt is currently unable to extend this pledge to Northern Ireland by political agreements struck with Stormont.

Ms Mordaunt admitted she feared a repeat of the “lawfare” travesty of greedy lawyers pursuing vexatious claims against Iraq veterans.

She told a naval conference: “I do think it should cover Northern Ireland. The problem is that we have failed to make progress on the whole lawfare issue because we have been held up waiting for other things to happen.

“It is a personal priority of mine that we get this resolved and we stop this chilling effect that is claiming veterans who really deserve our care and respect.”

Ms Mordaunt said she had secured an agreement from Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley that concerns about the treatment of veterans should be part of plans for dealing with the Troubles legacy.

Ms Bradley is expected to respond soon to a consultation on proposals from 2014 to create a historical investigations unit (HIU) to probe all unsolved deaths from the era.

It has received more than 15,000 responses and reportedly an “overwhelming majority” do not support an amnesty.

Tory MPs, veterans groups and the Ministry of Defence have fiercely opposed the creation of the HIU.

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