Kemi Badenoch has apologised after footage from Bloody Sunday was used in a social media post criticising Labour’s proposed legacy legislation for Northern Ireland. The Conservative leader said she did not sign off on the video, which was distributed by “very young people” who did not recognise the footage.
The video, posted on Badenoch’s social media channels on Tuesday, claimed Labour’s changes would “drag” British Troubles veterans back to court. Bloody Sunday, on 30 January 1972, saw British soldiers open fire on unarmed civil rights demonstrators in Derry, killing 13 people. A 14th man died later from his injuries.
Colum Eastwood, the SDLP MP for Foyle, said he was “shocked” to see Badenoch “trumpeting the service of British soldiers in Northern Ireland using footage from Bloody Sunday”. Badenoch apologised during a visit to a hairdresser in south-east London, stating the video was removed as soon as the party understood the error.
Labour’s Northern Ireland Troubles bill aims to replace a law introduced by the previous Conservative government, which contained a clause enabling veterans to avoid prosecution if they provided information. That law was ruled unlawful in 2024. Labour also wants to lift a ban on future inquests and civil actions.
The only soldier charged with murder over Bloody Sunday, known as Soldier F, was acquitted last year. Bloody Sunday led to increased support for the IRA. A 2010 inquiry, led by Lord Saville, concluded the shootings were “unjustified and unjustifiable”, prompting then-Prime Minister David Cameron to apologise.
