Kemi Badenoch forced to apologise after including Bloody Sunday footage in veterans post

Kemi Badenoch has apologised after including footage of Bloody Sunday in a post for veterans.

The Conservative leader was criticising a bill on legacy issues in Northern Ireland when the clip was used, claiming Labour’s proposed changes would "drag" British Troubles veterans back to court.

Mrs Badenoch argued that she did not sign off on the use of the footage, blaming "very young people" for the mistake.

Bloody Sunday, which occurred on January 30, 1972, refers to the Bogside Massacre, which was a pivotal event during the Northern Ireland Troubles.

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British soldiers shot dead 13 civil rights protesters on January 30, 1972, in the city.

Another man shot by paratroopers on the day died four months later.

While many consider him the 14th victim of Bloody Sunday, his death was formally attributed to an inoperable brain tumour. A total of 26 people were shot during the anti-internment march.

Mrs Badenoch was asked about the clip during a visit to a hairdresser in south-east London.

She said: "I have apologised. I did not sign off the video. It was about a vote in parliament where Labour are putting in legislation that is hounding the very elderly veterans for things that happened decades ago, often under the instruction of political leaders who are no longer around.

"We support our veterans, but the video was done by very young people who did not recognise the footage as being from Bloody Sunday.

"So I apologise as well that that video went out in error.

"It was removed as soon as the party understood that that was what had been put out."

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MPs voted to push the controversial Troubles Bill through Parliament last Monday in the face of fears for the immunity of Northern Ireland veterans.

The Bill will continue to progress in the next parliamentary session, after MPs voted 279 to 176, majority 103, in support of a carry-over motion late on Monday night.

Troubles veterans had been handed protections under the previous Tory Government's Legacy Act.

But that was rapidly scrapped by Sir Keir Starmer - with Labour claiming the Act was "incompatible" with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Ms Badenoch confirmed her MPs would be voting against the carry-over motion - and they did, alongside Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats.

But 279 Labour, Green and Northern Irish SDLP and Alliance MPs were enough to send it through.

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said it was "essential" that the Bill be resumed in the next Parliament to provide protection for veterans.

He said veterans would be given "protections" such as promises of no repeated investigations, no cold-calling, a requirement to consider the age and welfare of veterans, and the ability for any veteran to give evidence remotely and anonymously.

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