12 June 2026
Following the resignation of Al Carns MP as the Armed Forces Minister, I would like to place on record my thanks to him for all that he did for veterans during his time as Minister for Veterans and People and more recently as Armed Forces Minister, where he continued to hold the Northern Ireland legacy brief.
Since becoming NI Veterans Commissioner, I have had a strong working relationship with Al and would like to acknowledge the important work he did when he was Veterans Minister in developing Valour, and the positive impact that will bring to veteran support in Northern Ireland and throughout the United Kingdom. I always found him straight talking with a desire to see improved support and services for veterans. He comes with a highly distinguished military career and that can never be undermined or taken away from him.
As Veterans Commissioner, I have mixed emotions on hearing the news of this resignation. Any government that wants to have the support of veterans needs men and women like Al Carns in ministerial positions to bring their knowledge and experience to the table. However, ultimately honour and integrity are paramount, and Al feels he is no longer being listened to. One of the reasons highlighted in his resignation letter related to the NI Troubles Bill, where he states that the Bill “remains unfit for purpose”, and that the government is “failing” to show “loyalty to stand by” those that have served. That will be extremely concerning for the veterans that I represent.
I appreciate that some veterans felt Al should have resigned sooner, however it was right for him to do his best to argue for change from within, as long as he had influence. I never doubted his motivation to do the best he could for the Armed Forces in general and OP BANNER veterans in particular, so his resignation yesterday proved that belief was not misplaced.
I wish Al the very best in the future, and I’ve no doubt he will continue to champion the cause of veterans from the back benches.
David Johnstone
NI Veterans Commissioner