# Al Carns: we are failing Northern Ireland veterans – and why I quit government

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/coffee-house-shots-496891/al-carns-we-are-failing-northern-ireland-veterans-and-why-i-quit-government
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/coffee-house-shots-496891/al-carns-we-are-failing-northern-ireland-veterans-and-why-i-quit-government.md
Podcast: [Coffee House Shots](https://stenobird.com/podcast/coffee-house-shots-496891)
Published: 2026-08-26T23:01:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/coffee-house-shots/episodes/al-carns
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/68359028e1abc4be6b032cd1/e/6a8ee0d5c36cbadbe73958f0/media.mp3?tk=eyJ0ayI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJhZHMiOnRydWUsInNwb25zIjp0cnVlLCJzdGF0dXMiOiJwdWJsaWMifQ==&sig=fOkefg3MIpGaXwxnrxc9B23F29C8i8CEI3IuGvzcJDQ
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Duration seconds: 887

## Resource

Former veterans minister Al Carns joins James Heale to discuss the government’s handling of Northern Ireland legacy cases – and why the issue helped drive him to resign. Writing in The Spectator this week, Al attacks the ‘two-track approach’ to legacy cases, which he says could cost taxpayers billions, and warns against allowing the history of the Troubles to be ‘rewritten through the courts’. He argues that Labour failed to listen properly to veterans before changing the law and sets out what more should be done to protect those who served in Northern Ireland. What was it like fighting the issue from inside government? Did Keir Starmer understand the strength of feeling – and will Andy Burnham take a different approach? Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts . Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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